The Journey Epic Series
by alwayswriting
Summary: Jason/Courtney, Sonny/Carly--A Corinthos/Morgan Production--THE CONCLUSION of PART TWO!
1. Decisions

Decisions

The world was a complex place, always moving, always fast-pace, but in Port Charles, everything was simple. In the park, the children chased the last rays of sunshine while trying to ignore the dark rain clouds that loomed nearby. People were getting ready to leave work and go home for the weekend, getting into cabs, putting on their coats and getting their umbrellas out for just in case.

Outside Kelly's Restaurant, Jason Morgan took off his helmet and parked his motorcycle in the alleyway. He glanced up to the sky just as a drop of rain hit the ground. It was going to pour. He had that tingly feeling, the hairs on his skin seemed to be standing up as the air suddenly shifted from cold to hot and back again. He made his way inside Kelly's, his eyes immediately moving to the counter. 

Courtney Matthews looked up at the door just as Jason walked in. She smiled at him. He smiled back and took a seat by the door. It was almost like another language for them that only they understood, that secret smile.

The world was a complex place, always moving, always fast-pace, but in Port Charles, everything was simple. 

Or so it seemed.

*

Jason had ordered his usual and had left Kelly's hours ago. Courtney had said hi, taken his order, nothing out the ordinary. As she had given him his check, he brushed his fingers against hers. That was enough to make her want to blow their cover. She resisted the urge to kiss him and walked away.

Courtney finished closing the restaurant and put on her coat. She stepped outside into the pouring rain. She wanted to get to the loft as soon as possible, hoping Jason was there. Suddenly, someone grabbed her hand and pulled her into the alleyway. She looked up into a pair of blue eyes, felt the leather coat. She smiled as Jason lowered his face and pulled her close into a long kiss.

*

In the loft, they snuggled in each other's arms in bed as they dried off near the fireplace.

"You didn't have to wait for me in the rain," Courtney said. "You might have caught a cold."

Jason smiled. "I'll be fine."

They laid together in silence, both content with it. Jason ran his fingers through her blond hair. Courtney closed her eyes, her head on Jason's chest, listening very closely to his beating heart.

*

In her apartment, Courtney fed Rosie and got ready for bed. She was already missing Jason. She looked outside her window to see that it was still raining. An hour had passed and she was still wide awake in bed. There were so many thoughts running through her mind. She reached for the pad of paper and pen in her drawer. She picked up her pen and started to write.

_Dear Jason…_

*

Sonny Corinthos was glad to see the sun in the sky once again. Last night's rainstorm had made Michael crawl into bed with him and Carly. Sonny looked down at his watch and frowned. Jason was supposed to be at the penthouse ten minutes ago. Just then, the door opened and Jason walked in.

"Where were you?" Sonny asked.

"There was a construction site," Jason said. "It backed up traffic for awhile."

"You should have called to tell me you were going to be late," Sonny said.

Jason nodded and took out his coat. "It won't happen again."

"I got news about Brenda and Jax," Sonny said.

"Did they make it to Europe?" Jason said.

Sonny went to make himself a drink. "They're fine. Now that the Alcazar thing is over, you and Brenda, your divorce should be final as soon as you sign the papers."

"Don't worry," Jason said. "My signature has been there since day one."

"Do you have the papers on you?" Sonny asked.

"In my coat pocket," said Jason.

"Jason!" Carly walked down the stairs. "Oh, sorry, am I interrupting something?"

"What is it, Carly?" Jason said.

"Well, nice to see you too." Carly smiled. "Michael thought he heard you down here. He's watching a video upstairs. Wanna come up and say hi?"

Jason followed Carly upstairs. Sonny picked up Jason's coat and looked inside his pocket. He took out a folded piece of paper and opened it.

_Dear Jason, _he read, _these last couple of weeks have been the best in my life. I know we agreed to keep things slow, make sure this was something we both wanted, but now I'm not afraid to admit it, I'm sure. Sure of what? I'm sure that this isn't a mistake. I'm sure we can get through anything, AJ, Sonny, anyone and anything. I'm sure this is the right thing to do. I'm sure of our feelings. I want to make love again. The first time might have been too soon, but this time is right. I know this is something I want. I'm sure of it. Courtney_

Sonny heard Jason and Carly coming back downstairs. He quickly put the note back and grabbed the other folded piece of paper. He opened it to see the divorce documents.

Jason sneezed as he and Carly walked back into the living room. "Are you catching a cold, Jason?" Carly asked.

"Papers look good," Sonny said to Jason.

"Thank God you're not going to be married to that witch anymore, Jase," Carly said, rolling her eyes.

Sonny sighed.

Carly threw up her hands. "Sorry, women are to be seen, not heard. I'll shut up now."

"I'll get these papers mailed to Brenda and everything should be fine," Sonny said.

Jason nodded and put on his coat.

"And Jason…" Sonny said.

Jason looked up at him.

"Nothing." Sonny watched Jason leave and turned to Carly. He tried to hide his anger, but Carly could sense it. 

"What's wrong?" she asked.

Sonny didn't answer her. He grabbed his coat and suddenly left the penthouse.

*

Jason read the note from Courtney over again. He sat in the loft with the piece of paper in his hands. Outside the sun was setting. Courtney should be out of work soon. This morning, they had met for a moment at the loft, before she had to go to work, before he had to meet Sonny. She was hard to walk away from. It had caused him to be late with his meeting with Sonny. But once he had her in his arms, she was hard to let go. And once they started kissing, it was hard to stop. Before he had left, Courtney had placed a note in his coat pocket, asking him to read it later when he was alone. He had been reading it all day, almost memorizing it word for word.

Just then, the door opened and Courtney walked in. "Hey," she said softly. 

Jason got on his feet and reached for her. He placed his hands on her face and looked into her bright blue eyes. They both seemed to be holding their breath, waiting for the other to say something, so something. Jason kissed her gently on her forehead, then the top of her nose, then her lips.

"Jason…" Courtney said breathlessly.

He continued to stare into her blue eyes. "I'm sure too." He picked Courtney off her feet and carried her to the bed.

*

The night sky was clear. Millions of stars lighted up the dark. Sonny looked out at to the waters as he stood on the docks. He crossed his arms in front of his chest, deep in thought. He could have confronted Jason right there in the penthouse this morning, but he held back. For once in his life, he thought before he reacted. Sonny couldn't get the image of Jason and Courtney out of his hear. His best friend and his little sister. Not only were they seeing each other secretly, but they have also slept together. Jason knew better than to get personal with Courtney, to include her in his dangerous life. And Courtney had been so against Sonny's life since she arrived to Port Charles. Why would she accept it now with Jason?

He sighed, not happy with the decision that he had to make, or rather the decision Courtney had to make.

*

Courtney watched the red and orange flames dance before her in the fireplace. She was warm, not from the fire, but because Jason had his arms wrapped tightly around her in bed. She felt his breath on her skin. Her whole body was still lingering in their lovemaking. "Jason?" she said.

"Hmmm…" He nuzzled his face in her neck.

She shifted her body to face him. "Can it be like this forever?"

He kissed her and brushed the hair from her eyes. "Yeah, it can."

*

Courtney reached for her apartment keys and gasped at who was standing outside her door. "Hi, Sonny."

Her brother smiled at her. "Hey. Can I come in for a minute?"

"Sure." Courtney opened the door as they walked in. "Do you want anything to drink?"

"No, thanks." Sonny looked Courtney over, wondering if she had just come from seeing Jason. "How have you been?"

"Good." Courtney was getting suspicious of her brother's unexpected visit. "Why are you here, Sonny?"

"What? I can't visit my little sister?"

Courtney raised an eyebrow, not believing him.

Sonny sighed. "I know about you and Jason."

"Me and Jason?" Courtney asked innocently.

This time it was Sonny who raised an eyebrow. "I saw the note, Courtney."

"You what?" Courtney's eyes filled with anger. "Did you read it?"

"I didn't mean to," Sonny said. "I--"

"How did you--" Courtney ran her hands through her hair. "No, you know what, I don't care if you read it. Yes, Jason and I are together and no one can stop us from seeing each other, not you, or AJ--"

"What about you and Jason?" said Sonny.

Courtney waited for her brother to continue.

"I need you to stop seeing Jason," he said.

Courtney laughed. "Sonny Corinthos is making a request, a demand. It's not going to be that easy."

"Listen to me, Courtney. Whatever you're feeling for Jason, let it go. Let him go. I could go to Jason instead and ask him to stop seeing you."

"He wouldn't," Courtney said softly.

"Oh, yeah?" Sonny put his hands on his hips. "Jason is my right hand man. He's worked for me for long time now. He's my best friend. I know about his loyalty."

Courtney knew it was true. Jason was very loyal to Sonny. He had even married Brenda for Sonny. Jason would never go against Sonny. If Sonny had asked Jason to stop seeing her, he probably would. Courtney turned her eyes away as the tears appeared.

"Courtney, I want you to be safe," Sonny said. "And I want Jason in my business. I don't know how you and Jason feel--"

"You're right!" Courtney wiped her tears away. "You don't know anything about me and Jason! We care about each other, Sonny! After what I had to go through with AJ, why can't you let me happy?"

"I want you safe," Sonny said again. "And the only way you can be is away from Jason. He needs to know that you don't care about him."

"You want me to lie to him?"

"I want you to make him believe you're telling the truth."

Courtney wrapped her arms around herself.

"Can you do that, Courtney?" Sonny asked.

She slowly nodded.

*

There was a knock on Courtney's apartment door that night. She opened it to see Jason on the other side.

"Are you okay?" he asked walking in.

"Yeah. Why?"

"I waited at the loft for you," he said. "Why didn't you show up?"

Courtney shrugged. "I was tired. I had a long day at Kelly's and--"

"Is there something you're not telling me?" Jason said with concern.

Courtney started to pace. "I don't know how to tell you this, Jason, but I don't think I can keep doing this. Last night, was, I don't know, it confused me."

"It confused you?"

"I thought we were going to take it slow. I know I wrote you that note, but the truth is, I wasn't ready, I wasn't sure, and I don't think I ever will be."

"What are you trying to tell me?" Jason asked.

Courtney held back her tears. "I can't see you anymore."

"You can't or you won't?"

"Jason, you and I got together because we were both hurt. We were trying to find some comfort. I mean, I needed someone to make me forget about AJ and you and Liz--"

"You weren't rebound."

Courtney was silent.

"Was _I_ a rebound? Is that it?" Jason said. "I was just a distraction from AJ?"

"Jason--"

"I don't believe you, Courtney. I don't know why you're doing this, but--"

"Believe it, Jason! Go back to your world of guns and secrets! But I'm not going with you!"

Jason stared at her, trying to figure her out, see the true meaning behind her anger, but it was useless. All he could see was pain. "Fine. If that's what you want, we're done." He slammed the door on his way out.

Courtney collapsed to the ground and finally let the tears out. "I'm sorry, Jason."

*

Was it all worth it?

Courtney's heart was breaking, yet she continued to go to work, walk Rosie in the park, and bake cookies. She continued to have small talk with Penny and Liz at Kelly's. She smiled and laughed with the costumers, but inside, all she felt was emptiness. She saw Jason coming out of Kelly's one day as she was going to work. She wanted to yell out his name. She wanted him to turn around and smile and hug her. But, she let him walk away.

Was it all worth it?

*

_"I promise I'll always say good-bye."_

"Jason." Courtney looked up at him as he came out of the shadows outside Kelly's. "What are you doing out here?"

"I didn't say good-bye," he said.

"What?"

"I promised you that I would always say good-bye whenever I left."

"I remember," Courtney said softly.

Jason took her hands into his. "I'm not going to say good-bye because I'm not leaving you."

"Don't this." Courtney's voice was filled with longing. "Please, don't."

Jason pulled her close and kissed her. She pushed him away, letting go of his hands. "Good-bye, Jason." She turned from him and walked into the darkness.

*

Sonny opened the penthouse door letting Jason in. "Is everything okay?" Sonny asked.

"Did you go talk to Courtney?" Jason said.

"Courtney? What is this about?"

"I don't know how you found out, but you had no right to ask Courtney to choose."

"Jason, Courtney's my sister. I was just looking out for her. It's bad enough that she's connected with me, but I don't want her to be associated with you too."

"She's safe with me."

"Is she?" Sonny looked Jason in the eye. "Can you promise me that no one will try to kidnap her, shoot her? Can you promise me any of that?"

Jason didn't answer. 

"I live everyday knowing that Carly and Michael will never be 100 percent safe," Sonny said. "Do you want that for Courtney too?" He rubbed his jaw. "It's just better this way."

*

Sonny walked into Kelly's and sat down at a table. Courtney approached him. "Is it Jason?"

Sonny gestured to the seat across from him. "I want to talk to you."

Courtney sat down. "Is something wrong?"

"No, everything's right," he said. "It must have been hard for you to pretend that you didn't care for Jason."

"I didn't do it for you," Courtney said coldly. "I did it for Jason."

Sonny nodded. "That's good. Remember that, okay?" He got up from his seat and left.

*

"Didn't I tell you that a married man would only bring you trouble?" 

Courtney handed the key to the loft to the landlady.

The woman took the key and sighed. "I have to admit you two looked very much in love. It's always in the eyes. I've seen couples come and go in this building, but I thought I saw something special with you and him so I was very surprised when he came to turn in his key earlier."

"Wait," Courtney said, "He already turned in his key?"

The woman nodded. "This morning."

"Oh." Courtney felt a wave of disappointment flow through her body.

"Do you believe in love?"

The landlady's question caught Courtney off guard. "Uh, yeah, I do."

The woman smiled. "Then, I'm sure you'll find it again."

*

The dark haired man sat in the car across the street. "There she is."

The other man in the passenger's seat sat up and took notice of the young blonde haired woman leaving the building. "Wow, that's Corinthos's little sister?"

The driver grinned. "And Morgan's girlfriend."

**END DECISIONS**


	2. The Lie

The Lie

Sonny Corinthos knew a thing or two about lies. His life had been filled with them. And even when the truth was staring back at him, he refused to believe it. He had seen the looks passed between Jason and Courtney; he understood what Carly was trying to tell him whenever she bought up either of their names; he noticed how Jason and Courtney seemed to disappear at the same time. The note he had found in Jason's pocket was just the final stepping stone.

Since Sonny knew all about lying, he assumed Courtney did too. After all, she was his sister. So, Sonny asked her to lie. Lie to Jason. Lie to herself. And it worked.

*

People lied to protect themselves and sometimes to protect others. But lying could hurt more than it could protect, no matter how much good intent was put in it.

*

"Courtney Matthews?"

Courtney looked up at the teenage boy as he entered Kelly's. "That's me." The boy handed her a box. "Thanks," she said, opening up the box. Inside was a bouquet of roses.

"Who sent you flowers?" Liz asked, coming up from behind her.

Courtney's first thought was Jason, or maybe it was another attempt from AJ. "I don't know." She started to close the box, but Liz reached for the small card inside.

"Here's the card," Liz said.

Courtney read it. _Here's to opening night. Carly _"They're from Carly," she said.

"Carly?" Liz said. "What for?"

"I'm helping her open her club this weekend," Courtney said. "I guess it's her way of saying thank you. Are you coming to the club?"

Liz shook her head. "I don't think so." She looked up to the clock. "Well, it looks like your shift is over."

"Good." Courtney picked up her box of roses and coat. She waved at Liz and turned to leave when Jason walked in. Their eyes met for a moment until she looked away and made her way outside.

*

"Mommy, can I come to the club with you and Daddy?" 

Carly Corinthos smiled at her son, Michael. "When you get older."

Michael joined his mother on the couch. "Like next year?"

"More like in twenty years," Carly said laughing.

Just then, the door opened and Sonny walked in the penthouse. Michael ran to his father and embraced him. "Daddy, guess what? Mommy said I can go to the club in twenty years!" he said excitingly.

Sonny looked over at Carly. "Twenty years? That's not too bad."

"Sonny, come here and look at the these colors I picked out for the balloons," Carly said.

Sonny and Michael sat down on the couch next to her. She handed him the strips of paper. "That's Midnight Sky and here's Silver Shimmer and--"

"Are you opening up a night club or a love boutique?" Sonny said with a smirk.

Carly grabbed the strips back. "I try to get some friendly feedback--"

"Who said I was friendly?" The smirk hadn't left Sonny's face. He looked at Michael. "Am I friendly?"

"Daddy, you're making Mommy mad," Michael said.

"Oh, I am?" Sonny wrapped his arms around Carly. "I thought you had this club under control."

"I do," Carly said.

"Then, I trust you in your decisions," Sonny said. "You can pick any color you want. It's okay with me."

"Even Orange Sunset?"

"Well…"

"What did you just say, Sonny?"

Sonny smiled and kissed Carly.

"Twenty years?" Michael said. "Will I have my own car by then?"

*

"Hey." Jason slowly walked up to Courtney as she stood on the docks. "How are you?"

Courtney gave him a small smile. "I'm fine. You?"

He shrugged. "Busy."

"Business stuff?"

"Something like that."

They were quiet, standing side by side. Courtney watched the boats out in the water, their lights reflecting in the dark. She suddenly felt Jason take her hand. She turned to face him.

"I miss you," he said.

"I miss you too," she said.

He leaned towards her to kiss her. She wrapped her arms around him. He caressed her face with his hands. Everything around them faded away and soon Courtney found herself alone in her bed; the sun was just rising in the horizon as she awoke from her dream.

*

"Can I tell you something, Carly?" Ric Lansing looked over the petite blond. "I'm not too thrilled on this Orange Sunset you picked out."

Carly sighed. "Oh, come on, Ric." She pointed to the other decorations in the club. "It adds a little color to the dark balloons. Besides, I hired you as my business manager, not an interior designer."

"Well, as your business manager, I don't approve of Orange Sunset," Ric said.

"Sorry, I'm late." Courtney hurried in and quickly took off her coat. "We got busy last minute at Kelly's."

"Why don't you just quit Kelly's?" Carly said. "You can work full time as a hostess here."

"I can't, Carly," Courtney said. "Bobbie has been really great to me and I've already cut back on hours because I'm helping out here."

"Well, if you ever change your mind…"

"Thanks, Carly," Courtney said.

"It looks like you ladies can take it from here," Ric said. "If you don't mind, I'll make my way out."

"Thanks for your help, Ric," Carly said, "But I'm still keeping Orange Sunset."

"You're a stubborn woman, Carly." Ric took his belongings and left the club.

"So, what do you want me to do?" Courtney said looking around the club.

"Talk to Jason," Carly said.

Courtney sighed. "Jason and I, we're over. I made it clear that we couldn't see each other anymore."

"Stop lying," Carly said. "You're lying to him, to yourself, and it's tearing you both up. I mean, you should see him, Courtney. He's a mess."

"He is?"

"Well, he isn't drowning his sorrows in gallon of ice cream like I would be doing, but he's dealing with it in his own way," Carly said. "He's like Sonny. He shuts down. He puts up this wall and Courtney, when he was with you, that wall was gone. Now, it's back."

"I wish I could change things, Carly, but I can't."

"Why not?"

Courtney thought about her conversation with Sonny.

_"I did it for Jason."_

"That's good. You remember that, okay?"

Courtney looked at Carly sadly. "Because some things aren't met to be changed."

*

Jason Morgan walked onto the docks and looked up to the sky. Images of Courtney appeared in his head. Her smile, her eyes, her soft hair. He could still feel the warmth of her body as she laid next to him in their bed at the loft.

"Hey."

He turned to see Courtney. "Hey." He couldn't help but smile at her.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Thinking about you."

"Oh, really?" There was a glimmer in her eyes as she walked closer to him. He reached for her and kissed her.

"Jason?"

He looked away from the sky; the image of him and Courtney kissing vanishing before his eyes. He turned to see Courtney behind him. "Hey," he said.

"How are you?" she asked. Why was this so awkward? 

"Good, and you?" he said. Why was this so painful?

"I'm fine."

"Are you heading home?" Jason asked.

Courtney nodded.

"Do you want me to walk you?" Jason said.

"No, thanks," she said. "So, are going to the club this weekend?"

"Well, it's Carly," Jason said. "I don't really have a choice."

Courtney smiled. "Okay. Well, I guess I'll see you then."

Jason watched her walk away.

*

"You look great." Carly admired Courtney in her short black dress. "I love it."

"You look good too," Courtney said.

Carly looked down at her shiny red dress. "What? This old thing?"

"So, when's Sonny coming?" Courtney asked. "Shouldn't he be overseeing things?"

"Okay, first of all, this is _my_ club," Carly said. "And he's coming later with Jason." She looked at Courtney at the sound of Jason's name, but Courtney showed no reaction. Carly looked at the new club, ready to be open, and smiled. "So, who's ready to have a good time?"

*

Sonny was impressed at the turn-out as he entered the club. The loud dance music bounced off the walls. There were plenty of people on the dance floor and at the bar. He spotted Carly by the DJ. She waved at him.

"Looks like this place is a hit," Jason said. His eyes moved across the crowded club until he saw Courtney. She was talking to Ric at the bar.

Sonny noticed where Jason's attention was. "Lets go say hi to Carly." He and Jason walked to the center of the dance floor where Carly was. She threw her arms around Sonny.

"Isn't this incredible?" she said. "I can't believe all these people are here."

"All it's all because of you," Sonny said with a kiss.

"I got a little help." Carly glanced over at Courtney and Ric. "You should say congrats to Ric and your sister too."

*

Courtney couldn't help but look over at Jason as she stood with Sonny and Carly. She was having a hard time listening to Ric talk. Jason was to big of a distraction. Just then, Jason looked over at Courtney. She quickly looked away. "Excuse me, Ric, but I think I should check on the drinks." She made her way to the back room. Another person followed her inside. 

"Oh, I'm sorry," the handsome dark haired man said, "I didn't know this was a restricted area."

Courtney smiled at him. "Are you looking for something?"

"The restroom?"

"It's on the right hand side past the bar," she said.

The man scanned the boxes in the room. "Do you need any help?"

"No, thanks." Courtney struggled to pick up a box.

The man took it from her.

Courtney blushed. "Thanks." She opened the door for him as they walked out.

*

"Sonny." Jason's eyes went cold as he saw the man walking out a room with Courtney.

Sonny was alarmed to see Sammy Tagilati with his sister. Carly grabbed his arm. "No, Sonny. Not tonight. I don't want any trouble."

"Tell that to Tagilati," Sonny said.

"Please, Sonny," Carly said.

"Fine." Sonny looked at Jason. "Keep an eye on Tagilati. I don't him anywhere near Courtney."

*

Courtney felt a hand on her waist. She turned to see Jason. "Hey."

"Do you know who that man was?" Jason said. "The one who was carrying that box?"

"He helped me carry a heavy box? So, what?"

"That's Sammy Tagilati," Jason said. "He's in Sonny's territory when he shouldn't be. Did he say anything to you? Ask you anything?"

"No, Jason." Courtney sighed. "I'm too busy right now to answer your questions." She went back to the bar to fix drinks.

"I'm not leaving you," Jason said.

"What are you going to do?" Courtney said. "Watch me make drinks all night?"

"If that's what I have to do," Jason said.

Courtney looked at Jason, knowing that he meant it. "Fine."

*

"Mrs. Corinthos, congratulations on the club." Sammy Tagilati smiled at Carly as he approached her. "I wish you many more successful nights."

Carly rolled her eyes. "Why are you here?"

"I came for a good drink," Tagilati said. "There's no harm in that, right?"

Suddenly, Sonny grabbed Tagilati. "Get away from my wife!"

Tagilati raised his hands. "I meant no disrespect."

Sonny slowly let go of him. "Get out of this club, Tagilati. You have no business to be here."

"I'll leave," Tagilati said. He winked at Carly. "Good night."

Sonny watched him leave the club. He reached for Carly. "Are you okay?"

She nodded.

Just then, Jason and Courtney came up to them. 

"What happened?" Jason asked.

"Tagilati just left," Sonny said. "Listen, I want you to take Courtney home."

"But, Sonny--" Courtney said.

"You need to go home, Courtney. It's not a good idea to stay here," Sonny said.

Courtney looked at Carly.

"He's right," Carly said. "It's okay. I can handle the rest of the night."

"Let me go get my things," Courtney said leaving.

Jason went to follow when Sonny took a hold of his arm. "If you need to, spend the night," he said in his ear, "I trust you, got that?" Jason nodded, knowing that Sonny meant he trusted to not touch Courtney.

*

They walked in the apartment and took off their coats. Courtney turned to Jason, unsure of what to say or do. "You don't have to spend the night."

"I want to," he said.

"What's going on?" she asked. "Who was that Tagilati guy?"

"When Sonny faked his death, Tagilati came to Carly wanting to buy his territory," Jason said. "He still has it on his agenda to get it. He would probably do anything to get it away from Sonny."

"Anything?" Courtney said. She thought of her own safety as well as Carly and Michael.

"I don't want to risk losing you," Jason said.

Courtney tried to ignore the genuine concern she heard in his voice. "Let me go get you a pillow and blanket."

*

Tagilati reached for his cell phone as it rang. "Yeah?"

"It's Eddie," the deep voice on the other end said. "I couldn't get her."

"What happened?"

"Morgan took her home," Eddie said. "Looks like he's spending the night too."

"Don't leave your post," Tagilati said. "Keep me updated." He hung up and looked at the blond woman. "We have complications. Morgan took her home."

Faith Roscoe shrugged. "It's alright. Mr. Morgan can't watch Ms. Matthews every second. We'll get another chance."

END THE LIE


	3. Full Circle

Full Circle

Fate loved to play games. It chose its players and set them up exactly how it wanted. Fate was a cruel friend. It helped its players along the game, making it believe that it could be trusted, when it already knew who would win and who would lose.

Faith Roscoe knew everything happened for a reason, even her husband's death. She had mourned, but her grief was quickly replaced with anger. She learned the rules of the business, taking over her husband's territories and soon, Faith Roscoe was no longer the widow of a mobster, she was the mobster. She stayed on the sidelines waiting patiently for her moment. She knew things would be different with her, different than her husband's end and even the end of Luis Alcazar, because she wasn't going to end. She was going to make sure she was one step ahead of Sonny Corinthos every time. 

Someone was going to have to make the first move.

*

Courtney Matthews woke up with a jump at the sound of someone knocking on her door. She groaned at the time and put on her robe. The knocking became more urgent. "I'm coming!" She started to open the door when a hand grabbed her.

"What are you doing?" Jason Morgan held on tightly to Courtney's hand. "You don't know who's behind that door."

Courtney pulled her hand away. "Isn't that why you're here?" She opened the door to see Mrs. Wilson from upstairs.

The elderly woman smiled at her. "I'm sorry, Courtney, I know it's late, but I can't seem to find Maxwell. Have you seen him?"

"Did he get out again, Mrs. Wilson?" Courtney said. "I'm sure he'll find his way home like he always does."

"I hope so. I can't fall asleep knowing he's out there somewhere," Mrs. Wilson said.

"He'll be fine." Courtney placed a hand on Mrs. Wilson's shoulder. "Do you want me to walk you back upstairs?"

"No, thank you," Mrs. Wilson said. "I'm sorry I woke you. Good night."

"Don't worry about Maxwell, Mrs. Wilson." Courtney shut the door and turned to Jason. "See? It was just a neighbor looking for her cat."

"What about next time?" Jason said.

Courtney headed back to bed. "Next time you answer the door."

*

Eddie petted the gray cat as he stood outside the apartment building. His eyes stayed on Corinthos's sister's window. He had seen some figures moving inside, but now it was silent again. Eddie checked his watch and looked up and down the street. Sammy was supposed to meet him to give him an update. Nothing much had changed since he started watching Corinthos's sister; it had been a week and Morgan still hadn't given Eddie an opportunity to grab the girl. The cat meowed and rubbed its head against Eddie's hand. "I know what you mean," he said.

Just then, a pair of headlights beamed at Eddie. A long black limo pulled up next to him. Eddie let go of the cat and got inside the limo.

Sammy Tagilati looked over at this right hand man. "Any changes?"

"Morgan's still up there," Eddie said. "I can try to get in, but it'll be a risky move."

"Forget it," Tagilati said. "I talked to Mrs. Roscoe earlier and she's saying we have to move faster."

"What does she suggest?" Eddie asked.

Tagilati got out a cigarette and lit it, staring at the flame at the end of the match. "Plan B."

*

Jason watched Courtney as she cooked in the kitchen. His eyes watched her hands as she stirred, the way she bit her bottom lip as she measured something, how she tucked her hair behind her ears as she chopped.

"Do you want to help or something?" Courtney asked. "I mean, you keep looking at me like you want to."

"Do you need help with anything?" Jason said.

"You can get the bread out of the oven," she said.

Jason opened the oven and grabbed the tray with a towel.

"Be careful," Courtney said. "It's hot."

Jason set the tray down at the table. "Anything else?"

Courtney smiled. "Oh, I get it. That was too easy." She handed him a bottle of salad dressing. "Now lets see you make the salad."

"You do realize that we will be eating this salad, right?" Jason said.

"I'll show you," Courtney said laughing. She took out the tongs from the drawer and went to the salad bowl. "Okay. Just add the salad dressing."

Jason poured in the Italian dressing as Courtney mixed it with the tongs. She took a fork and got a piece of lettuce. "Here. Try it." She guided the fork to Jason's mouth and he bit the piece of salad off. "Taste good?" she said. Jason nodded. "I guess anything's possible," Courtney said with a smile. She looked up at him and was suddenly aware that her cheeks were growing warmer. "So…"

Just then, Jason's cell phone rang. Courtney welcomed the interruption. 

"Yeah?" Jason said. "We're fine. Right now?" He glanced at Courtney. "Alright, we'll be right there." He hung up and sighed. "That was Sonny."

"What did he want?" Courtney asked.

"He wants us to go the penthouse," Jason said. "It sounded serious."

*

Less than fifteen minutes ago, one of Tagilati's men has delivered a typed letter to Sonny's penthouse. _A business proposition awaits you. Pier 18 10 pm_ The door opened and Jason and Courtney walked in. 

"What is it?" Jason asked.

"Courtney, I need you to go upstairs to Carly," Sonny said. He turned back to Jason after she was gone. "Read this." He handed him the letter. "Tagilati sent it."

"Tagilati?" Jason read over the letter and gave it back to Sonny. "Are you going?"

"Well, it could be important--"

"Or it could be a trap," Jason said.

"I want you to come with me," Sonny said. "I'll have guards here for Carly and Courtney."

Jason was reluctant to follow Sonny's plan, but he sighed and nodded. "Alright. We'll go."

*

Sonny and Jason had left a few minutes ago. No explanation. No promise to return. Just gone. Carly counted the seconds in her head as she sat in the living room. She looked over at Courtney. "They'll be fine. Don't worry, okay?" She didn't know if she was trying to convince herself or Courtney.

"How do you do it, Carly?" Courtney asked. "I mean, how do you just wait?"

Carly gave her a bittersweet smile. "I believe it fate and I know it's on my side."

*

The air was cold that night. Jason watched his breath come out in a small cloud then vanish before him. He was alert, watching the shadows, listening to every sound. Sonny stood next to him with his hands in his dark overcoat. Footsteps made them both turn around. A tall dark haired man approached them. 

"Where's Tagilati?" Sonny asked. 

The man handed him a cell phone and left.

"I'm sorry I couldn't make it, Mr. Corinthos," Tagilati said on the other end, "But I have more important manners to tend to."

"You called me out of my home in the middle of the night and--"

"It worked," Tagilati said.

Before Sonny could reply, Tagilati hung up.

"What?" Jason said.

"Tagilati wanted me out the penthouse," Sonny said. His heart seemed to stop. "Carly."

*

"I have to go back to the apartment," Courtney said. "Jason was in such a hurry that I forgot to let Rosie out of the bedroom. She's probably starving."

Carly sighed. "Okay, but Marco's going with you."

"Let him stay. I'll be fine." Courtney put on her coat. "I'll feed Rosie and then come right back."

Carly walked her to the door. "Be safe." She closed the door behind her and started to pace again. She wanted to get rid of everything she was feeling: frustration, fear, anger--they were all jumbled together. She glanced at the clock, counting how long Sonny and Jason had been gone. She looked down at the phone, expecting it to ring, and then the door, waiting for it to open. 

Nothing happened.

*

"Come on, Carly, pick up," Sonny said into his cell phone. He and Jason stood on the docks, waiting for Carly to answer. 

Carly finally picked up after the fifth ring. She was relieved to hear Sonny's voice. "Sonny, are you and Jason all right?"

"Carly, I need you and Courtney--"

"Courtney went back to her apartment," she said.

"What?" Sonny let out a exasperated sigh. "How could you let her go?"

"I'm sorry, Sonny, I know I shouldn't have, but--"

"Forget it." Sonny turned to Jason. "Courtney went back to her apartment. Go check on her." 

Jason nodded and quickly left the docks.

"What's going on, Sonny?" Carly asked.

"I need you to check the penthouse," he said. "Check the hallway too. Is there anything suspicious going on?"

Carly went out to the hallway with the cordless phone and scanned the area. She passed by a table and noticed the blinking red light. She went closer to investigate and gasped. "Sonny?"

"What?" he said.

"I got ten minutes until this bomb goes off," she said in shaky voice.

Sonny ran his hand through his hair. "Do you see a red wire?"

"Yeah."

"You need to cut it," Sonny said. "It will deactivate it."

Carly raced back inside the penthouse and grabbed a pair of scissors. She came back and snipped the red wire. It stopped at five minutes. She let out a sigh of relief. 

"Carly?" Sonny was still on the phone. "Carly? Answer me."

Carly's mind seemed to go blank for a moment. She tried to remember how to speak. "Sonny, what the hell is going on?"

*

The cold wind pierced Jason's skin as he ran in the streets. He could see the apartment building coming into view. He hoped Courtney was safe. He hoped he wasn't too late. Suddenly, the world before him exploded. He shielded his face as the apartment building sent out debris of bricks and cement. All he could see were the flames, then he felt the intense heat. "Courtney." His voice came out in a whisper. He took a step towards the fire, but then the sounds of police sirens and fire trucks stopped him. He turned and ran in the opposite direction.

*

Faith Roscoe watched the flames in her hotel room. A smile appeared on her cold face. She sipped her champagne and enjoyed the show. Her blue eyes lit up as the dark smoke rose in the air. She had made her move. Now it was Sonny's turn and she was going to be ready.

Everything happened for a reason. Fate may have set up the game, but it was up to the players to _play _the game.

****

END FULL CIRCLE


	4. A Request

A Request

No one should ever want to live a life full of regrets. That was what second chances were for, to make up for any regrets, to start again. Jason Morgan watched the fire burn. He had failed. He had failed Sonny. He had failed Courtney. All of a sudden, everything came flooding back to him.

__

"So, how do you think you lost your sense of humor?"

"It's a long story." 

"Well, I would love to hear it sometime."

---

__

"All right, Rosie, rule number one -- you make sure the person that you're protecting comes first, always. Hey, you getting this?" 

"I'm sure she is." 

"Ok, good. Rule number two -- you be sure the person that you're protecting knows that they can rely on you and they don't have to be afraid or alone ever." 

---

__

"I just want to believe in love. Don't you?"

---

__

"I'm just glad that you came back." 

---

__

"And I am going to make mistakes, so you need to tell me because I don't want to hurt you."

"You won't." 

---

__

"Even when I kissed you, I wasn't expecting what happened next. I just got lost in you and didn't want to stop." 

---

__

"Can it be like this forever?"

Forever had ended. And for the first time, in a long time, a tear fell from Jason's eyes.

*

Sammy Tagilati walked into the hotel room. He cleared his throat and Faith Roscoe turned from the window. "The bomb at Corinthos's place didn't go off," he said.

Faith put down her glass of champagne. "We got the sister. That's a start." She took out her compact and looked at her reflection in the mirror. "I want you and your men to keep a low profile for now. I don't need the PCPD looking in our direction."

Tagilati nodded and reached for the doorknob. 

"Mr. Tagilati." Faith looked over at him. "Don't try anything without consulting me first. If I go down, so do you."

*

Scott Baldwin tried not to inhale any more of the fire's smoke as he got to the scene of the explosion. He watched the firemen try to put out the flames. He knew this explosion was no accident. He walked past the ambulances and the stretchers to Taggart. 

Marcus Taggart saw the approaching district attorney and knew he was going to get a mouthful. "We got three dead, dozens of injuries--"

"I want a warrant for Corinthos," Scott said.

"Don't go jumping to conclusions, Baldwin," Taggart said.

"I'm not jumping," Scott said. "This is clearly the work of Corinthos."

As much as Taggart wanted to pin this on Sonny, Taggart knew Baldwin was wrong. He had been to this apartment building before. He knew who lived here. He had been searching the ambulances for her, but there was no sign of Courtney Matthews.

*

Carly watched the television in horror. She gripped the remote control tightly in her hands as she listened to the news reporter.

"Firefighters are still battling the flames from the explosion at this apartment building. The names of victims have not been released yet, but so far, it has been confirmed that there are three dead with a dozen or more injured. Stay turned for further updates."

The door opened and Sonny walked in. Carly turned off the news and ran to her husband. "Oh, my god, Sonny. Courtney. Did Jason get to Courtney?"

Sonny gently pushed Carly away as he thought. He had heard the explosion from the docks, seen the flames and smoke. His stomach seemed to drop at the sound and then he stood for a moment in the silence that followed. He didn't want to put himself in any worse-case scenario. He had faith in Jason. They were safe. He was sure of it. "Where's the bomb?" he asked.

"I gave it to Marco," Carly said. "He was going to get rid of it. Sonny, if you hadn't called--"

"Don't think about that, okay?" Sonny sighed. "You're fine and--"

"No, Sonny." Carly's eyes filled with tears as her body started to shake. "I can't just stop thinking about it. I came this close to dying tonight. I mean, I saw the news. I saw the fire. There are people who are dead because of that explosion. I could have been one of them."

"No!" Sonny slammed his fist on the table. "You are not going to think like that!" He turned to Carly. "You will never be a victim, you hear me? Never."

Carly covered her face as she started to sob. 

Sonny hesitated to touch her, but he reached for Carly and pulled her into his arms. He kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes.

*

For some reason, Jason ended up in the park. He was walking with no sense of direction. He was in a daze, floating, unaware of his surroundings or feelings. He was just there. Sonny hadn't tried to call him yet. Jason wasn't sure what to tell him. How could he tell Sonny that if he had arrived maybe five minutes earlier he could have got to Courtney? How could he tell Sonny that he had seen the building explode right before his eyes? He looked up the sky. The moon was high tonight. Jason looked back down and continued walking when he heard a familiar noise: the sound of a dog barking.

Rosie came running towards him. She jumped at him as he knelt down smiling. 

"Rosie!" Someone was coming after the golden retriever.

Jason looked up and for a second, he thought he was hallucinating. Courtney was standing before him. Her blond hair was blowing gently in the night wind. Her blue eyes looked into his.

Courtney saw the tears in Jason's eyes. "Jason?"

He stood up and slowly walked towards her. Without speaking, he touched her face. Her eyebrows, her nose, her cheeks, her lips, her chin. He wasn't hallucinating; she was real. He brushed a strand of her hair away as he lowered his face for a kiss.

*

Carly had fallen asleep on the couch later that night. Sonny watched her sleep peacefully. It had taken awhile for her to calm down, stop crying. Sonny took out his cell phone and dialed Jason's number. "Jason, are you and Courtney all right?" 

"Yeah," Jason said. "I'm taking Courtney to the safe house by the lake for the night."

"Good. I'll call you tomorrow." Sonny hung up and sighed. Courtney was safe and so was Carly. He sat down on the ground next to the couch and ran his fingers through Carly's hair. Soon he was thinking about how he was going to make his move against whoever had set up the bombs.

*

Courtney put Rosie in one of the bedrooms and walked back into the living room of the safe house. She loved the warm feeling of the room from the fire Jason had made. Courtney joined Jason on the couch. "So, if I hadn't taken Rosie out for walk in the park, I probably would have been in that explosion?" she asked. She was still in disbelief of what Jason had told her.

"I don't want you to think about it," Jason said. "The thought of almost losing you--"

"I don't want you to think about it either," Courtney said. She reached for his hand. "I'm okay. See? I'm holding your hand. Can't you feel it?"

Jason nodded. He reached for her face with his other hand and caressed her soft skin. She closed her eyes at his touch. He kissed her again and then looked into her eyes. He felt it again. That connection. That connection that made him feel alive, that made every cell in his body aware of her. 

"Jason?" she said. "Can you just hold me?"

He wrapped his arms around her and leaned back against the couch. Courtney rested her head on his chest, comforted at the sound of his breathing.

*

Bobbie Spencer walked into her daughter's home, shaken from the events of last night's explosion. "Carly, have you talked to Courtney?"

"She's fine," Carly said. "She wasn't in her apartment when the explosion happened."

"The hospital was chaotic last night," Bobbie said, "I mean, there were so many burn victims, and then I heard it was Courtney's apartment building, I didn't know what to think."

"Like I said, she's fine." Carly offered her mother a drink. "So, were the police or anything asking questions at the hospital?"

"Oh, Carly," Bobbie said disapprovingly. 

"What?" Carly looked innocently at Bobbie. "I was just asking."

"I was too busy with the patients to pay any attention," Bobbie said. She sighed. "Tell me, Carly, what's going on? Did that explosion have anything to do with Sonny?"

Carly rolled her eyes and turned from Bobbie. "Have some faith in my family. Why is it that whenever something bad happens in Port Charles everyone thinks it's because of Sonny?"

"Well, most of the time, it is," Bobbie said.

*

Courtney embraced Sonny as soon as he walked into the safe house. Sonny held his sister tightly. He looked over her shoulder at Jason, grateful for his actions. 

"I need to talk to Jason," Sonny said to Courtney.

"I was just going to take Rosie for a walk anyway," Courtney said.

"Be careful out there," Jason said.

Sonny watched their eyes and realized not much had changed between them since he had found the note.

Courtney put the leash on Rosie and left the safe house.

"How's Carly?" Jason asked.

"There was another bomb planted at the penthouse," Sonny said, "Luckily, I told Carly how to deactivate it, but she was still shaken up."

"You think it's Tagilati?" Jason said.

"I got some men checking him out," Sonny said, "see if he's working alone or with anyone else. As far as we know, it might not even be Tagilati."

"What are we going to do in the meantime?" Jason asked.

"I need you to take Courtney out of the country," Sonny said. "I'm sending everyone in the family away. Mike, Carly and Michael. I don't want anything like last night happening again."

"I can stay, Sonny," Jason said. "Courtney can go with Mike or Carly."

Sonny shook his head. "I know you would want to be with her."

Jason looked at Sonny questionably.

"I already contacted my associates in Brazil. Money, a place to stay, protection, everything's covered," Sonny said. "Just take her and leave tonight."

*

"Okay, Sonny," Carly said, "Michael's things are all packed up. Is the car ready?"

Sonny looked over at Carly as she put down the bags by the door. "Where are your things?"

"I'm not going," Carly said. 

Sonny took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Listen to me, Carly--"

"No, Sonny," Carly said calmly. "I'm not leaving you here alone."

"Go to the island with Michael," Sonny said.

Carly crossed her arms in front of her chest. "No."

Sonny grabbed her arm. "Carly."

She pulled her arm away. "Sonny, I'm your wife and I love you. I am going to stand by your side no matter what." She placed her hands on Sonny. "No matter what."

Sonny looked into Carly's eyes. He leaned forward until their foreheads touched. She was right. He would need her now more than ever.

*

Faith looked over the papers she had received from her informant at General Hospital. It contained all the names of the victims from the explosion. Courtney Matthews was not one of those names. She crumbled the papers into a ball and threw them off the desk. She stood up and started to pace.

There was a knock on the door and Tagilati walked in. 

"She's not dead," Faith said to him. "I want everyone in Sonny Corinthos's family dead. I want to take them away from him just like he took my husband away from me." Her eyes went cold with hatred. "Find them and kill them."

*

Jason looked over at Courtney as they sat in the jet. She was nervous and scared, but she put a smile on her face for him.

"Do you think Rosie is going to be okay at the kennel?" she asked. "I mean, I don't know how long we're going to be gone. Do you think she'll remember me when I get back?"

"How could she forget you?" Jason said.

That one statement eased Courtney's mind. As the jet started to move, she relaxed and placed her head on Jason's shoulder. She was glad that Jason was coming with her. She felt safer with him there. She always did. 

****

END A REQUEST 


	5. Escape

        Escape

        Sometimes people woke up from a dream wondering if they were still dreaming. Was it a certain feeling that made them think like that? Or maybe it was because they didn't want to want to wake up from their dream.

          Courtney Matthews stared out to the ocean as she stood on the balcony. She breathed in the salty air while taking in the beauty of the scenery. This had to be paradise. She could hear Jason talking on the phone inside the room. They had called Sonny as soon as they had landed in Brazil. Sonny had given Jason the contact names and numbers on his associates in the country. Jason was talking to one now. She walked back inside and sat in a chair. She couldn't help but smile at Jason. She loved listening to him talk; even though he was speaking in Spanish right now, it still had a calm and soothing tone to it. Jason finished his conversation and hung up.

          "Don't worry. I didn't understand one word you said," Courtney said. "I took French in high school."

 "Comment ta la vous?" Jason said.

          "Show off," she said. "So, what are we doing tonight?"

          "I have to meet with Sonny's associates," he said. "And you are staying here in this house until I get back."

          Courtney frowned. "Can't we go dancing or something?"

          "You don't want to see me dance," Jason said.

          "Oh, come on." Courtney went to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm a good teacher."

          "We'll go dancing some other night." He reluctantly pulled away from her.

*

          "Just the man I was looking for."

          Sonny Corinthos looked up to see Marcus Taggart walking up to him as they stood on the docks.

          "Meeting anyone important?" Taggart asked. "Anything to do with that explosion at that apartment building?"

          Sonny shrugged. "Just out for a walk, Taggart."

          "Well, answer this for me, Corinthos. Where are Morgan and your sister?"

          "They ran off and got married." Sonny was starting to get agitated with Taggart and his questions. "Why does it concern you?"

          "I just find it very coincidental that both Morgan and your sister disappear at the same time the investigation of the explosion is taking place," Taggart said.

          "That's all it is, Taggart, a coincidence" Sonny said. "Now, if you excuse me, I need to finish my walk."

*

          Ric Lansing was amused. Carly Corinthos was in a bad mood again. He was used to her coming into the club ready to raise hell. Tonight she was shoving the napkins under the bar and mumbling about how the colors didn't match under her breath. "Carly?"

          She looked up at him with an annoyed look. 

          "Sam called in sick today," he said.

          "Great. Another thing to go wrong today."

          "I can call Lou and see if he can come in," Ric said.

          "Could you?" Carly said. "I would appreciate it."

          "I don't want to intrude, Carly," Ric said, "but what's been on your mind lately?"

          Carly sighed. "I'm sorry. I know I must be coming off as a total bitch—"

          "Carly—"

          "No, it's true," she said. "I know I have been, but it's just that I'm letting things get to me, things I can't control, that are out my hands." 

          "Sonny?"

          Carly pulled herself together before saying anything. "Tell me something, Ric. If you had a lovely and devoted wife—"

          "Like you?" he said smiling.

          "Just listen. So, what if you had a wife like that? Would you shut them out of your life?"

          "Depends on the life."

          Carly groaned. "Men. It doesn't matter if they have a Harvard education. I still can't stand them."

          "But, I do have a point, don't I?" Ric said. "I'm assuming you're talking about you and Sonny. Sonny still needs you even though you feel shut out. He needs someone to tell him it's going to be all right."

          Carly looked at Ric, amazed at his reading of the situation. Was she that easy to read?

          "I took a couple of psych classes at Harvard," Ric said with a grin.

*

          Jason got into bed, careful not to wake Courtney. She was still awake. "Hey," she said softly.

          "Why aren't you asleep?" he asked.

          "I was waiting for you," she said. "How did everything go?"

          "Fine." 

          Courtney didn't push for details. "I wish you were here with me earlier to watch the sunset."

          Jason pulled her to his side. This was going to be hard. She wasn't going to understand some of the things he had to do, but he hoped she knew that protecting her was still his first priority.

*

          Carly walked up to the cash register at Kelly's. "Is my order ready?"

          Liz handed her the brown sack. Have you seen Courtney lately? Bobbie said she had to leave town for an emergency. Is everything okay?"

          "Courtney's fine," Carly said. She turned to leave when she bumped into someone.

          AJ Quartermaine as usual as a smug smile on his face. "Carly, how are you doing this lovely day?"

          "Oh, god, AJ, do you really want to me throw up on you?" Carly said.

          "So, have you seen my wife?" he asked. "Your sister-in-law?"

          "Why are you looking for her?" Carly said.

          AJ shrugged. "No reason. It seems like my little brother and her have been missing for a few days, that's all."

          Carly did not want to listen to AJ start on Jason. "Good-bye, AJ."

          He grabbed her arm. "Tell me, Carly. Who was behind that explosion at Courtney's apartment?"

          "Okay, first of all, don't ever grab me that like again." She pulled her arm away. "And second, if you ever cared about Courtney, you would stop looking for her. She's safe."

          "With my brother? The killer?"

          "Good-bye, AJ." Carly stormed out of Kelly's.

*

          "Stay out sight," Sonny said, "but make sure you can still see everything that's going on."

          Max nodded and went to his post.

          Sonny held the briefcase in his leather gloved hands. He listened to the waves hitting the sides of the docks and the sound of distant chatter. 

          "Sonny Corinthos?"

          He turned to see a young dark haired man walk up to him. "My name's Alex Santiago." He looked intimidated in front of Sonny. 

          "You're Santiago?" Sonny said surprised. He didn't look a day over twenty. "You work for Tagilati?" 

          "Probably not after tonight," Alex said. "Is that the money?"

          Sonny opened the briefcase to show him the cash. "One million.

          Alex reached for it, but Sonny slammed it shut. "I want my side of the deal first. What's going on with Tagilati?"

          "He's the one who set up the bombs," Alex said.

          "Make this money worth it, kid," Sonny said.

          "Okay. Um, he's working with Roscoe's wife."

          "Roscoe's wife? Why in the hell would they team up against me?"

          Alex shrugged. "I don't know about the lady, but Tagilati wants control of the piers."

          Sonny evaluated what he had just heard. It made sense that Tagilati would want to come after him, but Roscoe's wife? He opened up the briefcase again and took out three bundles of cash. "You get the rest when you find out more about Roscoe's wife." He shoved the money at Alex.

          "Hey, that's not what I agreed to—"

          "Well, that's too bad," Sonny said.

          Alex looked at the money and back at Sonny. "I'll be in touch."

*

          Jason sat at the bar, drinking his beer. Courtney was still getting ready for their night out and had insisted he go on ahead of her to the club. The last few days had been hectic—trying to keep in contact with the associates, spending time with Courtney, updating Sonny every night—he welcomed tonight where there was no talk of business.

          "Are you alone?" a soft voice asked.

          Jason looked over at the pretty woman next to him. She was dressed in short white dress that showed off her tan legs. Her dark hair was wavy and it came a little past her shoulders.

          "Are you alone?" she asked again. There was a hint of a Spanish accent.

          "For now," Jason said.

          "You expecting someone?" the woman said.

          Jason nodded.

          "I don't see a ring," she said. "Girlfriend?"

          Jason didn't reply.

          The woman put her hand on his arm. "Are you looking for a girlfriend?"

          Jason moved away from her. "No, thanks. I already have one."

*

          Courtney watched the dark haired woman walk away from Jason. She had just walked in the club when she saw the woman approach Jason. She stood from a distance and watched. She saw the woman put her hand on Jason's arm. She saw Jason move away. Courtney smiled to herself. Just then, a slow song came on. It was the perfect song. Courtney went over to Jason. "Hey."

          His eyes seemed to light up at the sight of her. They traveled over her body, from her long light blue dress to her glowing smile. 

          Courtney held out her hand. "Ready for your dance lesson?"

          Jason took her hand and followed her to dance floor. He out his hands on her waist as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

          "Either you're a fast learner, or I'm a very good teacher," Courtney said.

          Jason smiled.

          Courtney pulled herself closer to Jason as they danced. She put her head on his shoulder. "Can it be like this forever?"

          He kissed the top of her head. "Yeah, it can."

*

          From the corner of the room, a flame ignited as two hands lit up a cigarette. Eddie watched Morgan closely as he danced with Corinthos's sister. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Morgan was getting some on the side from the blonde. He smiled at the thought. If Morgan could, hell, he could to. He continued watching the two dance, letting them enjoy their time together because it was going to be cut short very soon.

**END ESCAPE**


	6. A Spark

A Spark

          The beginning of anything is always the exciting part. You get a feeling inside of you that tells you to hold on tight for the ride—enjoy it, don't let it end. That's how Jason Morgan felt right now. He watched her sleep. Sure, she snored a little, but at least it was real. The moonlight touched her face, making her glow even more. He brushed a piece of hair behind her ear.

          Courtney Matthews stirred and opened her eyes. She smiled at Jason.

          "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," he said.

          "Don't be," she said. She was glad to be staring into his blue eyes again. "Can't sleep?"

          "Yeah, I have a lot on my mind," Jason said.

          "Do you want to talk about it?" Courtney asked.

          Jason took her hand. "Just try to get some sleep, okay?"

          "We can talk if you want, Jason," she said.

          "I've been thinking about us," he said softly. "That bomb explosion, us here in Brazil—it's a little overwhelming."

          "A little?" Courtney smiled. "We've already been through so much, Jason. AJ, Brenda and Alcazar, this should be nothing, right?"

          Jason smiled back. "Right."

*

          Faith Roscoe stood on the docks as she talked on her cell phone. "You found them?"

          "Brazil," Sammy Tagilati said on the other line. "Eddie's already there keeping an eye on them."

          "He better be careful so that Morgan doesn't suspect anything," Faith said. "We don't want to risk anyone knowing we're in the country."

          "Sure thing."

          Faith hung up and saw Carly Corinthos walk down the steps onto the docks. "Mrs. Corinthos."

          Carly turned to see the blonde woman. "Do I know you?"

          "No, but your husband does," Faith said with a smirk.

          Carly crossed her arms in front of her chest. "What's that supposed to mean?"

          "Sonny had my husband killed," Faith said. "Does the name Roscoe mean anything to you?"

          "My husband is a free man so obviously you have no proof to make such a claim," Carly said. "I'm sorry to hear about your husband, but—"

          "Are you?" Faith stared at her with her icy blue eyes. "Tell me, Mrs. Corinthos, being married to a man like Sonny, you must have imagined what life would like without him. I mean, you live everyday wondering if he's going to get hurt, sent to prison, possibly even killed—"

          "Excuse me, but—"

          "No, excuse me," Faith said angrily. "My husband is dead because of Sonny. I know what it's like being married to a man like Sonny, but most importantly, I know what it's like to be Sonny."

          Carly looked at her, stunned at her comments. For once, Carly was speechless.

*

          Carly slammed the door shut to the penthouse as she came in. She couldn't get the conversation with Roscoe's wife out of her mind. It had given her an eerie feeling.

          "What's going on?" Sonny Corinthos walked down the stairs to the living room. "I heard you slam the door from up here."

          'Sorry." Carly threw up her hands. "I met this woman tonight and she got on my nerves, that's all."

          Sonny grinned. "You met a woman that got on your nerves? How come that doesn't surprise me?"

          "Sonny, this is serious," Carly said as she took off her coat. "She said things that really bothered me."

          "Like what?"

          "Well, she knew you," she said. "She said you had her husband killed. His name was Roscoe or something—"

          "Roscoe?" Sonny sounded alarmed all of a sudden.

          "Yeah, why?"

          "Did this woman say anything else?" he asked.

          "She said a lot of things," Carly said. "Sonny, what is it? Is she telling the truth? Did you have her husband killed?"

          "I have to go." Sonny grabbed his coat. 

          "Sonny—"

          He kissed Carly quickly on the cheek and left in a hurry.

*

          Eddie watched her from the corner of his eye. This is what he did for a living. Watch. Observe. Kind of like a hawk ready to attack its prey, reading to make a move. She was alone, shopping at the outdoor flea market. Eddie had been watching her for a few weeks now every since Sammy had assigned him to back in Port Charles. He had began to notice things about her, like how she let her hair fall in front her face and how she threw her head back when she laughed. He decided to make his move. He went over to her as she admired some beaded jewelry at a booth. "You like?" He disguised his voice with a Spanish accent.

          Courtney glanced at the man and nodded. "It's very beautiful."

          "My uncle he make some too," Eddie said. "Come. I show you."

          "Your booth?" Courtney asked.

          "Si. Come."

          "No, thank you," she said. "I'm just looking."

          Eddie saw the two police officers enter the marker. He looked back at Courtney. "My uncle very good. Let me show you."

          "I'm sorry, but I should get going." Courtney turned to leave.

          Eddie almost reached out for her when the police officers walked by them. He turned from the officers and waited until they were gone. He turned back to the girl, but she was nowhere in sight.

*

          Sonny hated waiting. He hated the fact that he was waiting for a twenty-year-old punk kid too. Sonny stood on the docks and listened for any sounds of footsteps. 

          "Mr. Corinthos." Alex Santiago approached him. "You wanted to see me?"

          "You still want the money?" 

          Alex nodded.

          "Then, tell me what you know."

          "Sammy was in a meeting with Roscoe's wife for a long time today," Alex said. "Sammy wanted to plan out the takeover of the piers."

          "And Roscoe's wife?" Sonny asked.

          "She wanted to plan out how to kill your family," Alex said.

          "My family?"

          "Revenge for her husband."

          A chill ran down Sonny's spine. _Revenge_. One word had the ability to destroy Sonny's life and his enemy knew how to use it to their advantage. "What were their plans?" asked Sonny.

          "After your family's taken care of, they figured that you would break down and lose control of your business," Alex said. "Then, that's when Sammy would come in and take over."

          Sonny had to admit it was a clever move, but it was not a smart one. "If you're lying to me—"

          "Hey, I'm already turning against Sammy by coming to you," Alex said. "Why would I want to get on your bad side too?"

          Sonny handed him the briefcase. "My advice is to get out of Port Charles as soon as possible. Hell, get out of the country."

          "I was thinking New Zealand," Alex said. "Pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Corinthos." He watched Sonny leave the docks and then opened the briefcase. He smiled at the sight of the money.

          "I'm so disappointed in you, Alex."

          Alex slowly turned around at the sound of the voice. Sammy Tagilati stood before him.

          "How could you do this, Alex? You were like a little brother to me and you go and make a deal with Corinthos?" Tagilati said.

          "Sammy, please—"

          Tagilati revealed the gun. "It's too late to beg for your life."

*

          Jason and Courtney walked into the festival holding hands. They were surrounded with bright lights, colors, and loud noises. 

          "I can't believe I let you talk me into this," Jason said as he looked at the extravagant costumes parading around him.

          "It's going to be fun," Courtney said. "Trust me, I know fun."

          "And I don't?"

          She laughed. "For one night, Jason, can you just enjoy yourself?"

          "That's what you said about dancing," he said.

          "And you had fun, right?"

          They walked towards a fortune teller's booth.

          "Lets do this," Courtney said, pulling Jason with her.

          "You believe in this stuff?" he asked.

          "It's just for fun, remember?"

          They entered the tent and saw an elderly woman sitting in front of a crystal ball. Jason turned to leave when Courtney stopped him and made him sit down next to her.

          The woman greeted them in Spanish.

          "Does she speak English?" Courtney asked Jason.

          Jason asked the woman in Spanish. The woman shook her head. "I'll just translate," he said.

          They sat in silence for a moment until the woman pointed to a sign. Jason sighed and took out some money to pay her. The woman placed her hands on the crystal ball and closed her eyes. She started to speak.

          "I sense a floating feeling," Jason said. "Moving, running, danger. But I also sense a grounded feeling. Foundation, trust, love." He paused to look at Courtney. He was getting a little spooked by how accurate the reading was so far. He continued translating. "I see a fire, but it's a fire from within filled with passion and desire and lust. It needs to be tamed before it starts to burn. There's a bridge that needs to be crossed to transition to the next level, but the fire, you have to tame it before it burns the bridge."

          The woman opened her eyes and looked at Jason and Courtney with curiosity. She spoke softly.

          'What did she say?" Courtney asked.

          Jason was afraid to tell her. "She said the fire is in both of us and she fears that it will burn us, tear us apart."

*

          Sonny turned off the news and ran his hands through his hair. Alex's body had just been found floating down the river. One shot in the back of his head. There was no doubt that it was Tagilati who had killed him. He must have followed Alex to the docks. That meant Tagilati knew about Sonny's deal. Now Tagilati was going to change his plan, try to outsmart him. Sonny turned his eyes to the fireplace, losing himself in the flames.

*

          "So, what did you think of that fortune teller?" Courtney asked.

          "It was interesting," Jason said.

          They sat down at a table underneath a booth.

          "Is that it? You've been really quiet since we left that place," Courtney said.

          "What did you think of it?" asked Jason.

          "I think she was right."

          "You did?"

          "I care a lot about you, Jason," she said, "But it's kind of like what happened when I invited you to dinner. The next thing I knew we were in bed making love. It's just that when I'm with you, I get so caught up in my emotions, it consumes me. I can't control it."

          Jason listened and understood what she was talking about. He felt the same way. When he kissed her, he felt like a man possessed, no limits, no boundaries.

          Just then, a girl walked up to them with a flower basket. "Buy?"

          Jason picked out a lavender flower and paid the girl. He gave it to Courtney. "Courtney, I—" His cell phone rang all of a sudden. It was one of Sonny's associates asking to meet with him right away.

          "What is it?" Courtney asked after he hung up.

          "I have to go." Jason stood up. "I'll walk you back to the house."

          "I'm going to stay a little longer."

          "It's not safe, Courtney," he said.

          "Just a few more minutes, Jason."

          He sighed. "Okay." He kissed her and left.

*

          Jason entered the mansion and was greeted by a tall Spanish man. He shook his hand. "Jason Morgan, I'm Hector Garcia." He led Jason to his office. "Mr. Morgan, we have evidence that Mr. Tagilati has sent some of his men into the country." Garcia took out the glossy photos. "This man has been identified as Eddie Chavez, Mr. Tagilati's right hand man."

          Jason looked over the photos of the man in the hotel lobby.

          "There could more men with Chavez," Garcia said. "If you want our services, all you have to do is ask."

          "Find Chavez and his men and get rid of them," Jason said.

*

          "Senorita?" 

          Courtney looked up at the man and smiled. 

          "You know me?" he asked.

          "From the flea market, right?"

          "Si. You want to look at bracelet?" The man pointed to a booth. "Right there."

          Courtney sighed. "Okay." She followed the man past the booth. "Where are we going?"

          The man turned and grabbed her suddenly. Courtney opened her mouth to scream when another pair of hands gagged her. She saw two men appear as they dragged her to a van. She was thrown into the back as the doors slammed in her face.

*

          The little girl picked up the lavender flower the pretty woman had dropped. She frowned as she saw the men throw the woman into a van. The van quickly sped away. The girl put the flower back into her basket and went back to the festival.

**END A SPARK**


	7. Fragile Stone

Fragile Stone

          This was the perfect moment for her knight in shining armor to rescue her. Courtney Matthews sat blindfolded on the hard floor. Her hands were tied behind her back and her mouth was gagged. She could hear people speaking softly, but it was mostly in Spanish. Suddenly, a hand grabbed her and took off her blindfold. It was the man who had lured to the van.

          "Don't be scared," he said. "We won't hurt you _yet." He sneered at her and took out his cell phone. "Lets give your boyfriend a call."_

*

          Jason Morgan walked into the house and immediately sensed that something was wrong. There was no sign of Courtney in the bedroom; the bed hadn't been slept in. Just then, his cell phone rang. He could hear someone sobbing on the other end.

          "Jason?" It was Courtney's voice. "Jason, please help me." She continued sobbing on the other end of the line.

          "Courtney, where are you? Who's with you?" Jason said.

          "I—"

          She was cut off by a deep voice. "This is Eddie Chavez calling on behalf of Sammy Tagilati."

          "You son of a bitch, if you hurt her, I'll—"

          "What are you gonna do, Morgan?" Eddie said. "You can't touch me because you can't find me." The loud click as he hung up was an echo of his parting words.

*

          Sonny sat alone in the darkened living room. The curtains were closed. The lamps were off. Carly came down the stairs, uncertain on what was going on. "Sonny?" He remained motionless. Carly reached to turn on a lamp.

          "Don't," Sonny said. His voice sounded lifeless.

          Carly took a seat next to him in the dark. She always felt like she knew him better in the darkness. She knew the sound of his breathing, the way his body felt; it was this bond she had with him. She wrapped her arms around him. "It's going to be all right."

*

          Jason entered the festival cautiously. He had spent most of the day with Hector Garcia gathering information on where Eddie Chavez would be hiding. Now he was back at the last place he had seen Courtney, hoping he would find a witness or a clue on where she was taken. He felt someone tugging on the sleeve of his jacket. He recognized the little flower girl.

          "Senor?" The girl raised the lavender flower Jason had bought for Courtney.

          "Where did you find this?" Jason asked in Spanish.

          The girl took his hand and led him to a secluded area that was away from the festival. "I saw them take her," she said in Spanish.

          "Can you tell me who?" he said.

          "Four men," she said. "They put her in a van and drove away."

          "What did the van look like?" Jason asked.

          The girl thought about it. "Blue with the words Speedy Delivery on the back."

          "Gracias." Jason smiled at her and turned to leave when the girl stopped him. She handed him the lavender flower.

          "Give it back to her when you find her," she said.

*

          Eddie sat across from Courtney, his eyes locked with hers. One of his men walked in with a cell phone and said, "Sammy wants to talk to you." Eddie got on the phone. "Yeah?"

          "You do remember that there's a part two on your trip, don't you?" Sammy Tagilati said sternly.

          "Don't worry. I have some men taking care of it right now," Eddie said.

          "You watch the girl until I tell you what to do with her," Tagilati said, "but you need to get Morgan out of the way now."

          "I said I got it taken care of, Sammy," Eddie said. "Morgan is gonna be no problem."

          Courtney began to worry at the sound of Jason's name. "What are you going to do with Jason?" she asked after Eddie hung up.

          "You know, your boyfriend and me, we have a lot in common," he said.

          "Jason is nothing like you," Courtney said. "You are a monster."

          "So is Morgan." Eddie stood up. "We do the same job. I'm Tagilati's right hand man. Morgan is Corinthos's right hand man. We protect them, do what they say, we even kill—"

          "Shut up."

          Eddie smiled. "Afraid to hear the truth?"

          "From you? Yeah, right."

          "I am telling the truth, honey," Eddie said. "Morgan and I, we're killers. This is our life." He lowered himself until he was face to face with her. "So, you see, we're not that different." He placed his hand on her leg.

          "Don't touch me," Courtney said. If she wasn't tied up in her chair, she would have slapped the evil grin off his face a long time ago.

Eddie liked the fierceness he saw in her eyes. He smirked and stood back up. One of his men came in. "Eddie, we gotta meet with Lopez."

Eddie looked at Courtney one more time before leaving.

*

          Sonny picked up the package that had arrived for him earlier. He opened it and found a tape recorder. He pushed play and Courtney's voice came on. "What do you want from me? Answer me!" There was a shuffle in the background and a man's voice came on. "You are gonna be fine, just as long as your brother does what he's told." Sonny could hear Courtney crying and then the tape stopped. He stood still for what seemed like an eternity. He finally moved and picked up his cell phone, dialing Jason's number. If Courtney had been taken, that meant something had happened to Jason because he would have probably risked his own life to prevent Tagilati's men from taking Courtney. But Jason answered his phone. "What the hell happened?" Sonny said. "Where's Courtney?"

"Sonny, I—"

          "Someone sent me a tape with Courtney and Tagilati's men," Sonny said. "I counted on you to keep her safe, Jason."

          "Dammit, Sonny, I know that," Jason said. "Don't you think I'm working on finding her?"

          Sonny sighed. "I'm coming to Brazil."

          "No, you're not—"

          "Jason, I need to find Courtney," Sonny said.

          "You need to stay in Port Charles and take care of Tagilati," Jason said. "I promise you that Courtney will come home. You have my word."

          It was silent for a moment on Sonny's end. "She's my sister," Sonny said. "I love her."

          "I know." Jason hung up with Sonny. "I do too."

*

          "Here are the photos we took his morning." Garcia showed them to Jason. "Looks like we have a match." 

          Jason saw the Speedy Delivery van parked outside a laundry service building. "Are your men ready?"

          Garcia nodded.

          "Then, we will go tonight," Jason said.

*

          Carly slept soundly in bed as Sonny stood by the bedroom window. He looked outside at the city at night. In his hand, he held a picture of him and Courtney. Carly had taken it awhile ago, claiming she had to test the camera to see if it worked or not. He traced Courtney's face and smiled bitterly. He remembered hearing about a land formation somewhere in Asia. It was made of rocks and had stayed together for thousands of years until one day it just started to fall apart. No one knew why, but people said it could have been from all the pressure of trying to stay together in one piece for so long; it couldn't take it anymore so it just collapsed. Sonny turned away from the window and closed the curtains before joining Carly in bed.

**END FRAGILE STONE**


	8. On the Other Side

On the Other Side 

On the Other Side

          The night was their partner. The shadowy figures blended in with the dark as they moved in the alleyway. Jason Morgan led the men as they approached the building. His leather gloved hands gripped his gun tightly. He glanced at Garcia's men and motioned for them to follow. He kicked in the back door and raised his gun, ready to attack, but there was no one there. The building was empty.

*

          "You're going to be home real soon, Michael, I promise." Carly Corinthos frowned, but she filled her voice with joy as she spoke to her son. "Daddy? He's right here." She handed the phone to her husband.

          Sonny Corinthos took the phone from her. "Hello?" He smiled at the sound of Michael's voice. "Wow. You saw a dolphin at the beach? That's great. No, Mommy and I can't come see you, but you're going to be home soon, okay? We love you." Sonny sighed and hung up.

          "Sonny, it's killing me that we can't be with Michael," Carly said. "When is this mess going to be over with?"

          "I hate it too." Sonny glared at Carly. "I got Mike in Florida, Michael at the island, Jason and Courtney in South America, My whole family is falling apart."

          Carly took Sonny's hands into hers. "I'm still here, Sonny. You have some family with you."

*

          Courtney Matthews looked up at the moon wondering if it was true that it looked the same no matter where you were. Tagilati's men had moved out of the laundry service building earlier that evening. They had relocated to an isolated house on a cliff. She could hear the ocean through her window at night. She glanced at her locked room and thought of Jason. Her thoughts were always on Jason. She was fearful for him. Eddie and his men had been planning non-stop on how to stop Jason from finding them. She was also fearful for herself. She tried not to show it, but she worried that one day Eddie was going to get that phone call that would instruct him of what to do with her. She wrapped her arms around herself and paced the small room. 

*

          "Mr. Morgan?"

          Jason looked away from the window. Hector Garcia was standing behind him with a concerned look.

          "Are you all right?" Garcia asked.

          Jason nodded.

          "I am sorry to hear that tonight did not go as planned," Garcia said, "but my men and I are working on finding Chavez's new location."

          "Thank you," Jason said.

          "If you don't mind me asking, Mr. Morgan, but it seems as though Ms. Matthews means a great deal to you," Garcia said.

          "She's Sonny's sister," Jason said. "It was my responsibility to protect her and I didn't."

          "Don't be too hard on yourself," Garcia said. "You need to be strong." He patted Jason on the back and left the office.

          Jason sighed. Strong was no longer a familiar word to him.

*

          Carly stumbled out of the restroom and into Ric Lansing's arms. The lawyer steadied her and asked, "What's wrong?"

          "I just threw up my entire breakfast," she said.

          Ric led her to the bar and sat down. "Do you want some water?"

          "I think I'll be okay," Carly said.

          "What about tonight?" Ric asked.

          "I'm not going to let this stop me from running my club," Carly said.

          "Forgive me, Carly, for saying this," Ric said, "but you look like hell."

          Carly groaned. "Carly Corinthos is not a quitter."

          "Well, that's the spirit," Ric said smiling.

          Suddenly, Carly put her hands over her mouth and ran back inside the restroom.

*

          Sonny had reached a desperate moment in his life. It was no longer about the code of conduct in his business. It was about his family. He thought about their safety, their lives—they were all in his hands and one wrong word or action and they would be taken away in an instant. He heard the approaching footsteps on the docks.

          Marcus Taggart came towards him. "You wanted to see me?"

          "You and I, Taggart, we stand on opposite sides of the line," Sonny said. "We don't see eye to eye on a lot of things."

          "You wanted to see me to tell me how the good guy/bad guy thing works out?" Taggart said. "Spare me the mob lessons."

          "I want to make a deal with you," Sonny said.

          The detective crossed his arms in front of his chest. "A deal?"

          "I can get you the people behind the bomb explosion," Sonny said.

          "You turning yourself in then?" Taggart said.

          "Very funny," Sonny said. "Trust me. You make this deal, you get the people who planted that bomb and killed those apartment tenants."

          "Hearing the words 'trust me' from Sonny Corinthos is supposed to make me take this deal?" Taggart said with a smirk.

          'When I give my word I mean it, Taggart," Sonny said. "Do you want to do this or not?"

          Somehow Taggart knew Sonny meant it too. There was something in his dark eyes. A sense of desperation, a new will-power. Taggart glanced down at his police badge and then at Sonny. "I'll consider it."

          Sonny nodded. "I'll be in touch." He turned to leave.

          "So, how does it feel to be on the other side of the line?" Taggart asked.

          Sonny looked back at him. "I don't know. You tell me."

*

          Carly walked through the back door of the penthouse. She could hear Sonny talking in the living room as she got closer. She paused by the entrance.

          "Garcia needs to work faster," Sonny said into his cell phone. "I know, Jason, but I can't let Courtney get hurt. I know you'll find her." He sighed. "Call me if anything else changes." He hung up and slammed his phone on the desk.

          "What happened to Courtney?" Carly showed herself. "Is Jason okay? Tell me what's going on."

          "Shouldn't you be at the club?" Sonny said as he turned away from her.

          "Don't try to change the subject." Carly followed him. "So, tell me, is Jason okay? And Courtney?" She waited for him to answer, but he remained silent. "Fine. You know what I—"

          Sonny turned back around suddenly and pulled her into a fierce embrace. He buried his face into her neck and wrapped his arms around her body.

          Carly was startled at his actions, but she wrapped her own arms around him and gently ran her fingers though his hair.

*

          Jason sat alone in the bedroom, staring out onto the balcony. He could hear the ocean, feel the cool breeze drift in, but none of that mattered anymore. He could still see Courtney standing outside on the balcony. Every morning, he would lie in bed and just watch her. He missed how her long hair blew in the wind, how her eyes were much bluer than the ocean, how she would turn and smile at him. He was going to find her. He needed to feel her again, make sure she was safe again. Most of all, he wanted her to smile at him again. Jason got up from the bed and turned away from the balcony, missing the red laser dot aimed at his back.

**END ON THE OTHER SIDE**

Home 


	9. The Longest Night

The Longest Night 

The Longest Night

          He watched the figure move away from the balcony. He could still see the shadow looming across the window and onto the wall. He hid in the darkness, ready to fire the gun. He lined up the red laser dot to the shadowy figure--a perfect aim right in the back. His finger ached with anticipation to pull the trigger. He took a deep breath and fired.

*

          Jason Morgan heard the gun shot and fell to the floor, reaching for his gun. He waited for another shot, but heard none. He slowly got back up on his feet and went out on the balcony. He looked at his surroundings cautiously. All he saw was the empty beach and the dark ocean. No one seemed to be in sight. He dialed a number on his cell phone. "Yeah, we need to meet right now."

*

          Courtney Matthews felt the sun hit her face as she woke up. She got up from her bed and rubbed her eyes. The door opened and Eddie walked in with a cup of coffee.

          "Good morning," he said, handing her the cup. "Did you sleep well?"

          Courtney didn't accept his drink or answer him.

          "Well, you know, we had an interesting night," Eddie said. "We found out where Morgan was staying and we sent a nice friend of ours to go see him." He smiled at Courtney's scared reaction. "Nothing has been confirmed yet, but I'm pretty sure your dear boyfriend is dead." He placed the coffee on the table. "Looks like no one will ever be able to come rescue you now." He went to the door and left.

          Courtney picked up the coffee mug and threw it after Eddie, shattering it to pieces as it hit the floor.

*

          Jason walked down the stairs into the basement with Hector Garcia. Jason looked over at the badly beaten Spanish man that was tied in a chair.

          "My men saw him outside the house right before he fired the gun," Garcia said. "We were able to apprehend him before he could get another shot fired. Right now he's not talking, but give us some time."

          Time was running out though. Jason knelt down to the sniper. The man's head was lowered. "Look at me," Jason said in Spanish. The man raised his head. His eyes were swollen and his face was filled with cuts and bruises. "Who do you work for?" Jason asked. "Did Sammy Tagilati or Eddie Chavez send you?"

          The man didn't reply.

          Jason sighed. "I'm going to ask you one more time. Who do you work for?"

          The man spat on the ground next to Jason. "Go to hell."

*

          Sonny Corinthos held his cell phone in his hands. All he needed to do was dial seven numbers and everything would be fine again. But would it _really _be fine again? He hadn't heard from Jason in a few days. He worried constantly about Courtney, praying that she was safe. After all of this, could everything be fine again? He wouldn't know unless he did something about it. Sonny dialed the phone number and waited for an answer. "Yeah, I'm ready to meet you," he said.

*

          Courtney woke up with a jump. She tried to catch her breath as she suddenly remembered where she was. She sat up and leaned against the cement wall, hugging her knees to her chest. Her dream was still vivid in her mind. She and Jason were back at their loft, sleeping in each other's arms. Then, everything became bright and harsh as Eddie's voice echoed, "…your dear old boyfriend is dead." Jason was dead. It had to be a lie. It just had to be. She wondered if this was what Jason felt like when he thought she was in that bomb explosion. At first, she thought she felt pain, then misery, then sadness; now she knew what it was. It was emptiness. She lowered her head and cried.

*

          Jason sat in Garcia's office, playing with the lighter he had found on the desk. He turned it on and off, watching the blue flame burn and then vanish. His thoughts wandered to the night of the festival and to what the fortune teller had said. _ "The fire is in both of us and she fears that it will burn us, tear us apart." And that was what exactly happened._

          "Mr. Morgan?" Garcia walked in. "We have made some progress with the man."

          Jason followed Garcia back into the basement. The sniper was now strung up from the ceiling with his hands. There were whip marks on his bare back.

          "He's ready to talk?" Jason asked Garcia.

          Garcia nodded.

          "Are you going to answer our questions now?" Jason asked in Spanish to the man.

          "Si," he said.

          "Where is Eddie Chavez?" said Jason.

          "I don't know," the man said.

          One of Garcia's men swung the whip against his back. He cried out in pain. "Angel Cliff. There's a house in the woods."

          "Angel Cliff?" Jason said.

          The man nodded. "Angel Cliff."

          "Get your men ready, Garcia," Jason said as he headed back upstairs. "We have some business to take care of."

*

          Carly Corinthos couldn't move. The truth was she didn't want to move, or else she thought the moment would pass her by. In her hand, she held the home pregnancy test she had purchased earlier. She was now staring at the results. One blue line meant. Two meant yes. Carly had read the instructions on the box over and over to make sure what she was seeing was real. She sat down on top of the toilet lid and placed her hand on her stomach. "I'm having a baby."

*

          Faith Roscoe put on her long black coat and grabbed her purse. She checked to see if her gun was loaded and smiled as she placed it back inside her purse. Sammy Tagilati had just called her with the news that Jason Morgan was dead, Sonny's sister was still being held captive, and that Sonny was ready to meet with them at his warehouse. Her plan was moving forward.

          Her door opened and a bodyguard walked in. "The limo is ready, Mrs. Roscoe."

          "I'll be down in a few minutes," she said.

          The bodyguard nodded and left.

          Faith checked her reflection in the mirror and placed her hand on the heavy weight in her purse. "Let the games begin." She sighed and exited the hotel room.

*

          They saw the black cars parked outside the large mansion on the cliff. The sniper had told them the truth. Chavez was definitely staying here. Once again, Jason led Garcia's men towards the hideout. He pulled one of the men aside and said to him, "I'm going to go in first to check it out. Take the rest of the men and surround the place." The man nodded and motioned the group to follow him. Jason looked back at the mansion and focused on how to get in. He saw two guards at the entrance. Only one was visibly armed. He crept in the dark and towards the bushes to conceal himself. The two guards were speaking Spanish to one another. Jason checked the area and saw an unguarded part of the entrance. He quietly made his way to the window and looked in. There she was. She bravely sat in a room filled with Chavez and his men. Suddenly, the voices of the two guards came closer to where he was standing. He leaned back against the wall with his gun ready. As they came around the corner, Jason slammed the base of his fun to the first guard's head, knocking him out. The other guard shouted at him in Spanish to put down his weapon, but Jason charged at him, catching him by surprise. Jason wrestled the gun away from the guard's hands and pointed it at him. The guard raised his hands. Jason swung his fist at the guard's face, sending him to the ground. He walked over the two unconscious guards and towards the entrance.

*

          Carly came down the stairs just as Sonny was about to leave the penthouse. She clasped her hands together nervously, trying to figure out the best way to tell him the news. "Sonny?"

          "Tonight's going to be a long night, Carly," he said. "Don't wait up for me."

          "Listen, just for one second, okay?" Carly stood face to face with her husband. "I don't want to know where you're going, or what you have planned, but I just want you to be safe."

          Sonny nodded. "I will be."

          "And come home to me…"

          Sonny nodded again.

          "And your new baby." Carly looked into Sonny's dark eyes for a reaction. She saw a light shine through. He flashed a small smile.

          "Baby?" he said.

          Carly grinned as the tears appeared. "I'm pregnant."

          Sonny took her into his arms and held her tightly.

*

          Jason had managed to break the lock and enter the mansion. He noticed the lack of guards as he walked inside. Chavez must have really thought he was safely isolated out here. He heard voices coming from a room. He pressed his ear against the wooden door and made out some English and Spanish being spoken. And then he heard Courtney speak. "I'm not afraid," she said. Her voice was loud and clear, no sign of fear at all. Jason took a step back and inhaled deeply before raising his gun.

*

          Carly sipped her glass of water as she stared out to the city. She placed her hand on the cool window glass, her thoughts on Sonny and the child they were going to bring into the world. She smiled, picturing the expression on Michael's face when he found out he would be getting a little brother or sister. She said a little prayer for Sonny and then one for Jason and Courtney. She put down her glass and walked over to the CD player. She pushed play and wrapped her arms around herself as the soothing song floated in the air.

_"and fate has lead you through it you do what you have to do…"_

Carly picked up a framed picture of her, Sonny, and Michael and held it close to her.

_"the yearning to be near you I do what I have to do…"_

Jason counted to ten in his head and kicked the door in. He saw Chavez and his men raise his guns at him.

_"I know I can't be with you I do what I have to do…"_

Sonny entered the warehouse with some of his men. His eyes met the two figures that approached him. Tagilati and the blonde looked him over with smug faces. Sonny stuffed his hands into his dark overcoat and waited for the night to begin.

_"and I have sense to recognize but I don't know how to let you go…"_

Carly laid down on the couch and pulled a blanket over herself. She held the framed picture near her heart and tried to fall asleep.

"_I don't know how to let you go…"_

Song: "Do What You Have To Do" by Sarah McLachlan

**END THE LONGEST NIGHT**

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	10. On and On Part 1

On and On Part 1 

On and On Part 1

          One event, one moment, one minute, one second--that's all it took for a life to change. No thoughts on turning back; a choice has been made, and the only thing left is the outcome.

*

          Jason Morgan felt his heartbeat race as he stared at the guns that were pointed to his face. He glanced at Courtney and tried to tell her it was going to be all right. Her eyes seemed to understand him.

          Eddie Chavez gripped his gun tightly. "Morgan, how nice of you to pay us a visit." He smiled. "Come to rescue your girlfriend?"

          Jason didn't reply.

          "Where are the rest of your men?" Eddie said. "I know you didn't come alone. That's not how it works." He turned to his men. "Go check the grounds." The men cautiously left the room as Jason watched them for any sudden movements towards him. Jason looked back at Chavez and Courtney once the men were gone.

          Eddie grabbed Courtney by her arm and pulled her to him. 

          Jason moved closer with his gun, but Eddie motioned with his gun for him to step back. "You don't want her to get hurt now, do you?"

          Jason paused and looked at Courtney again. She only seemed concerned with his safety. His entire body was filled with fear, knowing that she had a gun shoved at her side. "Come on, Chavez. Lets take care of this. Just you and me."

          "Sounds fair enough." Eddie squeezed Courtney's arm tighter. Courtney grimaced in pain.

          Jason stepped forward again.

          Eddie raised his gun at Jason. "What did I say about that?" He pointed to Jason's gun. "Drop it."

          Jason looked at Courtney. She shook her head, but he slowly lowered his gun and placed it on the floor.

          "Kick it to me," Eddie said.

          Jason kicked his gun towards Chavez, angry at himself for allowing Chavez to get the upper hand.

          Eddie picked up the gun, smiling. "Now this is being fair."

*

          Sonny Corinthos did a quick scan of the warehouse. A cold chill ran down his back, but he ignored it and looked at Sammy Tagilati and Faith Roscoe, who were supposedly alone. 

          "There was no need to bring your men, Corinthos," Tagilati said, referring to the three men standing behind Sonny. "I thought we all could have a civilized conversation."

          "You thought wrong." Sonny crossed his arms in front of him. "Are you ready to talk?"

          Tagilati looked at Faith. She nodded and said, "Your sister for your business on the piers."

          Sonny scratched his chin. "See, I have a problem with that. Both of those choices can't be guaranteed."

          "Well, it doesn't seem like you have a much of a choice," Tagilati said. "We have your sister, we killed your right hand man--doesn't leave you with much options, does it?"

          Sonny didn't let the news of Jason phase him. He refused to listen to the voice in the back of his head that believed Tagilati, that maybe this was why Jason had contacted him lately. "Here's an option," he said. "How about you both go to hell?"

*

          "You know, Morgan, while you were away, me and your girl kind of bonded." Eddie ran his hand down Courtney's arm. "I can see why you would go for her. I mean, she's innocent, but she's a hell of a fighter. And she does this thing with her hair when she's upset you know, she tucks it behind her ear." Eddie looked up at Jason. "It probably started out as a job for you too, didn't it? Something you _had_ to do, but then you found yourself _wanting _to do it. I understand. She's too beautiful to resist." He took a step back with Courtney and leaned towards her. "You don't mind if I get a taste, do you?"

*

          "Hell?" Tagilati lowered his face with a smirk. "Come on, Corinthos. You and me both know that _this_ is hell. Life is hell." He looked back up him. "Like I said, we have the advantage here. Take the deal and you have nothing to lose."

          Sonny's cold eyes calculated his next move. Nothing to lose? _"Come home to me and your new baby."_ He needs to come home. He needed his family to come home.

          "So, what's it going to be, Corinthos?" Tagilati said. "How desperate are you?"

*

          Courtney felt Eddie's breath hit her skin as he leaned in for a kiss. She curled her hand into a ball and hit his face hard. He jumped back in surprise. 

          Jason saw the opportunity and tackled Eddie to the ground.

          Courtney watched as they wrestled for control of the guns. She saw one slide across the floor and into the corner of the room. She quickly picked it up and turned back to the two men just as a loud bang echoed in the room.

*

          "This is how I see it." Sonny rubbed his chin. "You threatened the safety of my family. You planted a bomb in my sister's home, but instead of killing her, you killed three innocent people. You kidnapped my sister, and now you're making deals claiming that you have the power in the situation."

          "It's true, isn't it?" Tagilati said. "Mrs. Roscoe and I teamed up to bring you down and that's what we intend to do. We planted that bomb. We got your sister as insurance. We got rid of Morgan. Yeah, I would call that power."

          Sonny smiled. "Power? Listen to me, Tagilati, never underestimate  _my_ power. Because when you mess with my family, I get desperate enough."

          Suddenly, one of Sonny's men took out a gun and raised it at Tagilati and Faith. "Put your hands up! You're under arrest!"

*

          A bright light flashed before Courtney's eyes as the gun went off. She expected to see Jason or Eddie wounded, but both men stood up, unharmed. The only difference between them was that Jason was now holding the gun. 

          "Looks like the tables are turned now," Jason said, pointing the gun at Eddie. He gestured to Courtney to hand him the other gun. She did and went to stand by his side.

          "Right hand man verses right hand man." Eddie laughed and looked at Courtney. "See, baby, I told you we were alike."

          Jason glanced at Courtney, confused at the statement, but she appeared to understand him completely.

          "Come on, Morgan. Shoot me," Eddie said. "Show her what kind of man you are. But, we're not men, we're monsters, isn't that right, honey? We kill."

          Courtney was obviously getting upset at his comments. Jason stepped forward towards Eddie. Eddie just smiled at him, waiting to be proved right.

*

          Tagilati and Faith froze as the warehouse became filled with police officers. Marcus Taggart walked in. "Cuff them," he said. 

          "I can't believe this," Tagilati said. "I can't believe you would sink this low, Corinthos. If you were going to take me out, you might as well have killed me."

          Sonny watched as the cops apprehended him. "You asked me how desperate I was. Now you know the answer."

          Taggart came over to Sonny. "This doesn't mean we're on the same side now."

          "We never were." Sonny walked away from him.

          Faith stared at Sonny with her blue eyes. He made eye contact with her and for a moment, she saw a sign of victory in his dark eyes. Sonny Corinthos was not going to win. She reached inside her purse and took out the gun she had hidden in there. Before Sonny could react, Faith fired the gun at him. The shot deafened everyone's ears. The cops quickly disarmed her and put handcuffs on her. "No!" Tears of defeat finally rolled down her face, but before she was taken to the police car, she saw Sonny grab his stomach and smiled at the sight of blood.

*

          Courtney jumped at the sound of the gun going off. She turned her head away as Eddie's body fell to the ground. "Jason?" She looked at him.

          He looked as surprised as she was. "I didn't shoot him." He went closer to the body to investigate. It was a clear shot to the head.

          "Look at this." Courtney was standing near the window, pointing to the broken glass. "Looks like the bullet came from outside." She felt Jason take her hand. The simple touch of being near him was exhilarating. A tear rolled down her cheek and she smiled as Jason turned her around to face him. "Can we go home now?"

          He nodded and led the way outside, holding her hand.

*

          Hector Garcia watched as Morgan and Ms. Matthews left the mansion. They were safe. His men were behind him, getting ready to leave the scene. He looked down at his gun, the one he had just fired at Eddie Chavez, and turned back to his car.

*

2 days later…

          "Sonny?" Carly Corinthos sat at her husband's bedside and prayed that he would wake up soon. He had been in and out of consciousness over the last few days as the doctors operated on him. Surgery had been successful, but the scar would always be there.

          "Carly?" Sonny said weakly. His eyes opened. Seeing Carly was a beautiful sight. "What—"

          "Shh…" Carly took his hand. "It's okay. You're fine. They got the bullet out."

          "Bullet?" Sonny suddenly remembered Faith shooting the gun at him. Then, there was blood, and there was pain. He didn't remember much after that.

          Carly ran her fingers through his hair. "I love you so much, baby."

          "How are you?" he asked. "And Michael? And the…and the baby?"

          She smiled. "We're all fine, Sonny. And so are Jason and Courtney."

          And as if on cue, Jason and Courtney walked into the room. Sonny let out a sigh of relief. His entire family was safe. They were together again and now he knew everything could go back to being fine.

Continue 


	11. On and On Part 2

On and On Part 2 

On and On Part 2

1 year later

          Carly Corinthos traced the scar on Sonny's stomach as they laid in bed together. The sun was just rising in the horizon, sneaking in its rays into the room. She watched the light shine on Sonny's face and smiled as his eyes slowly opened. "Hey, baby."

            He pulled her to him. "Hey yourself."

          "I had this really nice dream," she said softly.

          Sonny waited to hear the story.

          "Michael's at a Little League baseball game, and we're in the bleachers watching him as he steps up to plate." Carly laughed at the recollection. "I'm holding Bella and she's cheering on her big brother. Jason and Courtney are sitting with us and Jason yells, 'Hit a homerun, Michael!' Michael swings the bat and slams that baseball right out of the park. We jump out of our seats and scream our heads off as he runs around the bases and slides home." Carly looked into Sonny's eyes. "We were so happy for him and happy for our family."

          "That was a nice dream," Sonny said.

          "But that's all it was, Sonny," she said. "A dream. My life will never be like that, and you know what? I don't care. My life is complete right now. I have you, Michael, and Bella."

          Suddenly, the gently crying of their baby daughter caused Carly to get out of bed and pick her up from her crib. Carly brought Bella to their bed. Bella looked up at her mother with her dark eyes and stopped crying. Sonny reached over and held his little girl's hand. She wrapped her tiny fingers around her father's.

          "Mommy?" Michael walked into the room, rubbing his eyes.

          "Michael, what are you doing up?" Carly asked.

          "I was going to watch some cartoons, but I wanted to see Bella first," he said as he climbed into his parents' bed and kissed his sister on her forehead.

          Just then, the phone rang. "Hello?" Sonny said.

          "Hi, Sonny!" Courtney said from the other line.

          "Why are you calling me?" he said smiling.

          "I just wanted to say hi to my brother, that's all," she said.

          "Yeah, but you're on your honeymoon with Jason, enjoy it," Sonny said.

          Courtney laughed. "Don't worry, we're having a great time. How's Carly and the baby?"

          "Here. I'll let you talk to her." Sonny handed the phone to Carly.

          "Hey, Courtney," Carly said. "How's Brazil?"

          "A lot better than last time," Courtney said. "Jason wants to talk to you. Give Michael and Bella a kiss for me."

          "I will. Take care, okay?" Carly said. She heard Courtney give the phone to Jason. "Hey, Jase. How's married life treating you? I mean, the real thing, not that awful thing you went through with Brenda." She ignored Sonny's annoyed expression. "Getting some sun? Sipping martinis? So, how is it?"

          "I've got no complaints," Jason said.

          "Uncle Jason!" Michael said loudly. "Bring me back a present!"

          "Did you hear that?" Carly said laughing.

          "Tell him to check the mail tomorrow," he said.

          "I meant to tell you this before you and Courtney left, but the wedding, it was beautiful," she said.

          Jason smiled at he reminisced about the small private ceremony on Sonny's island. He remembered looking at the blue ocean and the setting sun, then back at Courtney, who was dressed in a long strapless white dress, her feet bare as they stood on the beach, and thinking that the ocean and sun was nothing compared to Courtney.

          "Don't let me keep you," Carly said. "You should get back to Courtney."

          "Can I talk to Sonny real quick?" Jason asked.

          "Sure." Carly gave the phone to Sonny. "Jason wants to talk to you."

          "Sonny?" Jason said.

          "Yeah?"

          "I just wanted to say thank you."

          Sonny sighed. "I should be one saying thank you. You make my sister happy."

          "I love her, Sonny," Jason said.

          "I doubt that at all, Jason. I believe in you two," Sonny said. "You were always like a brother to me and now you are my brother."

*

          "Look Jason." Courtney pointed to the booth at the end of the street. "Remember this place?"

          They entered the fortune teller's booth and smiled at the elderly woman. She spoke to them in Spanish and motioned for them to sit down.

          "She said she knew we would come back," Jason said to Courtney. He reached for his wallet to pay the fortune teller.

          The woman shook her head. "No pay." She placed her hands on the crystal ball and started to speak.

          "You've crossed the first bridge," Jason said as she spoke. "But there's a new bridge coming up. I see another fire, but this one is comforting and warm. It isn't burning the bridge, it's molding it, keeping it intact."

          The woman paused and looked at Jason and Courtney before talking again. 

          "There will be more bridges, more transitions, but I know you will cross them together and move on to the next one together," Jason said. "This isn't the end. It's only the beginning."

          They thanked the fortune teller and walked out to the street. Jason reached for Courtney's hand and said, "So, what do you think she meant? A new bridge?"

          "Well, I can think of one thing," she said.

          "What?"

          She stopped walking and reached for Jason's other hand. "I'm pregnant."

          Jason's eyes lit up with joy and disbelief. "We're going to have a baby?"

          Courtney nodded.

          Jason grabbed her and twirled her around in his arms as the world around them faded away.

_"This isn't the end. It's only the beginning."_

END ON AND ON

**END THE JOURNEY EPIC SERIES PART ONE**

**THE STORY CONTINUES: READ THE JOURNEY EPIC SERIES PART TWO COMING SOON!**

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	12. Part IIPrologue

The Beginning of The Journey Epic Series Part II  
Prologue  
  
Carly Corinthos lit the eight candles on the birthday cake. A hand tugged at her shirt. "Can I see, Mom?" Bella Corinthos said as she peered over the counter top. Her dark eyes lit up, anxious to surprise her cousin. "Hold on, Bella. We have to get this to Caitlin." Carly and Bella walked out of the kitchen and into the darkened living room. Caitlin Morgan sat with her eyes closed at the dining table. Her blond hair was up in a ponytail and she was dressed in a light blue dress. Michael Corinthos stood next to his father and smiled at the scene. Sonny Corinthos watched as Carly placed the cake in front of Caitlin. "Open your eyes, sweetie," Carly said. Caitlin's blue eyes sparkled as she saw the presents on the table, the chocolate cake before her, and her family surrounding her. Bella began to sing Happy Birthday and soon everyone else joined in. "Make a wish," Bella said once they were done. Caitlin took a moment to make her wish and then blew out the candles. Bella and Michael made their way over to their cousin. Michael leaned down to kiss her cheek. Caitlin made a face as she rubbed the kiss away. "Open my present, Caitlin," Bella said. Carly and Sonny watched the kids from a distance, smiling. "Caitlin looks so beautiful," Carly said. "Doesn't she remind you of Courtney?" Sonny thought of his little sister and a wave of sadness hit him. He admired his nine-year-old daughter and sixteen-year-old son. They treated Caitlin as though she was their own sister. He and Carly felt the same. They loved her as if she was their daughter. "Sonny?" Carly said. "Do you think-do you think Jason and Courtney will do anything for her birthday?" Sonny didn't know how to answer that. His niece was happy celebrating her birthday with them, but he knew that every year she made the same wish. For her parents to come home. And every year it never came true.  
  
*  
  
Carly finally finished cleaning the kitchen and dining room later that night. Everyone else had gone to bed. She picked up a candle and smiled, hoping that Caitlin's wish would come true. "Aunt Carly?" Caitlin's voice startled her as she turned around. "Caitlin? What are you doing up?" "If I tell you my wish, will it not come true?" Caitlin asked. Carly knelt down before the little girl. "Why do you want to know?" "Because I want to ask you something," she said. "And I think you can make my wish come true." "Well, what is it?" Caitlin looked into her aunt's eyes. "Tell me about my mom and dad. Tell me where they are." Carly frowned and wrapped her arms around Caitlin. "Oh, baby." "Don't they want me? Don't they love me?" Caitlin's bottom lip trembled as tears appeared in her eyes. "What did I-" "No, Caitlin, this is not your fault." Carly said as she looked at her. "Your mom and dad love you very much. You're their baby girl." "If they love me so much, what happened to them? Where are they?" Carly sighed. This wasn't going to be easy. She couldn't tell Caitlin the entire truth, but then again, she didn't want to lie to her either and make her continue living with questions. She stood back up and grabbed Caitlin's hand, leading her to the living room. "Come one. I'll tell you what happened to your parents." 


	13. Back In Town

Back In Town

Her blue eyes followed the two candles on the cake as it was set down in front of her. Courtney Morgan held her baby daughter in her lap as everyone around her finished singing Happy Birthday to Caitlin. "Make a wish, baby" she said as she blew out the candles. Caitlin just laughed as the flames went out.

Jason Morgan stood next to his wife and daughter as the lights were turned in their penthouse. Sonny and Carly Corinthos stood in front of them with Michael and Bella. 

"She's getting so big, Courtney," Carly said, holding her own daughter. "Almost as big as Bella."

"Where does the time go?" Courtney said smiling. She handed Caitlin over to her father. "Let's cut the cake."

"Let me help you." Carly handed Bella to Sonny and followed Courtney into the kitchen.

Jason and Sonny looked at each other and laughed at the scene. Here they were, Jason Morgan and Sonny Corinthos, holding their baby girls. Family men.

"Has it really been two years since Caitlin was born?" Jason said.

"Time starts to fly by," Sonny said. "Before you know it, they're going to have their own kids, and then you'll be a grandfather."

Jason groaned. "I'm not ready for that, Sonny."

"No one's ever really ready for anything," Sonny said.

Just then, their wives came back into the room with slices of the cake on plates. Carly took back Bella. "Eat your piece, Sonny."

"Who made it?" Sonny asked, picking up his plate.

"I did," Courtney said, "but Carly helped too."

"How much helping did she do?" Sonny took a bite of the cake and found it moist and delicious. "Either Courtney's a great baker or Carly, you've been taking cooking lessons."

Carly playfully hit him on his arm.

"I mixed the frosting, Daddy," Michael said, eating his own piece of cake.

"And it tastes great," Sonny said. He glanced over at Jason and Courtney, who were standing together on the other end of the table. Courtney was feeding Jason pieces of the cake as he held Caitlin. They looked so damn happy. And to think none of this might have ever happened. He thought back to when he had found Courtney's note to Jason and then the decision he had made Courtney face—to leave Jason. If he had succeeded, they wouldn't be here today celebrating Caitlin's birthday. Together they had love and happiness, a family.

"Sonny?" Carly's voice brought him back to the present. "What are you thinking about?"

He looked at his own family and thought of how much love and happiness he had received from them. "I was thinking that I don't say I love you as much as I do." He kissed Carly on her forehead. "I love you."

*

Time certainly did fly by as Sonny told Jason. A week had past since Caitlin's birthday. Sonny was at home when his phone rang.

"Sonny, can you go pick up Michael and Bella at my mother's?" Carly asked.

"Sure, honey."

"I'm sorry, but Courtney and I are really caught up with the club, and Ric couldn't come in today, and—"

"I said sure, honey," Sonny said.

Carly sighed. "I love you."

"Love you too."

Sonny breathed in the cool air as he walked along the docks. His thoughts were on his children, holding them in his arms, seeing them again. His thoughts quickly vanished as he approached the dark-haired woman sitting alone on the bench. Her eyes were staring out towards the water, a million miles away. "Brenda?"

She turned and gave him a small smile. "Hi, Sonny."

Sonny took a moment to make sure this was happening. It had been nearly three years since Brenda and Jax had left for Europe. There had been no contact since then. And now here Brenda was, back in town. "What are you doing in Port Charles?" he asked.

"I didn't know where else to go." Brenda's voice cracked with emotion. "Jax's dead."

*

Carly had the hugest headache as she returned home from the club. Her headache was about to get worse as she opened the door to her home to find Brenda Barrett in her living room. "What the—"

Sonny went to his wife. "Carly, listen to me, she—"

"Can't you ever leave us alone?" Carly said to Brenda. She threw her bag to the ground. '"Are you back to make our lives a living hell again? I thought you were happy riding off into the sunset with Jax—"

"Jax is dead," Sonny said.

Carly couldn't hide her surprise. "What?"

"The doctors said it was food poisoning, but I don't believe that," Brenda said.

"So what do you think happened?" Carly asked.

Brenda looked up at them, sure of her answer. "I think he was murdered."

*

Jason walked into Sonny's penthouse as soon as he got the message that Brenda was back. The brunette smiled at her ex-husband. "What's going on?" he asked.

Sonny guided him away from Brenda. "Jax's dead and Brenda thinks he was killed."

Jason ran his hands through his hair. "So what is she doing back here?"

"She has no where else to go," Sonny said. "She thinks the people who killed Jax are after her."

"She needs protection?"

"I trust you, Jason," Sonny said. "I got her a place downstairs so we could keep an eye on her, but she doesn't want to stay there. She wants to stay at her cottage. Can you convince her to stay here?"

"I'll try." Jason sighed. "I'll have to tell Courtney about this. She won't be too thrilled about it."

"Yeah, neither was Carly. She had to leave the penthouse." Sonny grabbed his coat. "Can you just try to talk to Brenda?"

Jason nodded.

"I'm going to go look for Carly," Sonny said.   
Jason turned back to Brenda as soon as Sonny was gone. "How are you?"

She shrugged. "I'm okay. Congratulations on your marriage and baby by the way."

"Thanks." Jason looked at her concerned. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Brenda was trying hard not to cry. "Yeah. So, tell me about Courtney and the baby. Caitlin, right?" A tear rolled down her cheek. "That's a really nice name."

Jason slowly reached for her, touching her shoulder. She accepted his offer and pulled herself into his arms. And the tears finally came.

*

Sonny found his wife at her club. She was sitting at the bar drinking from a glass. He looked around the empty room and sighed as he joined Carly.

"Is she gone yet?" she asked bitterly.

"Cut her some slack, Carly," Sonny said. "Jax just died."

"Well, I don't feel sorry for her one bit." Carly finished her drink and poured herself another one. "The girl is good with disappearing acts and whenever she comes back, she always brings trouble. Something tells me that she bought it with her again."

*

Caitlin had just fallen asleep in Courtney's arms as Jason and Brenda came into the penthouse. "Brenda?" Courtney's face filled with confusion. "Are you back in Port Charles?"

"I'll explain later," Jason said.

Courtney nodded. "Let me go put Caitlin in bed."

Brenda watched them go and turned back to Jason. "I knew she was going to be one." She let out a small laugh. "The one you were going to raise a family with, have children together, you know, be a _real_ husband to."

Courtney returned to the room, uncertain on how to act around Brenda. "Do you want something to drink?" she asked her.

"No, thanks," Brenda said. "I should be leaving anyway."

"I'll go with you," Jason said.

"No, stay here." Brenda reached for the door. "Stay with your family. I'll be fine. I'll just grab a guard on my way out." She smiled at them. "Your daughter is very beautiful."

Jason and Courtney watched her go. He sighed and rolled his head back. 

"Jason, tell me what's going on," Courtney said.

He turned to his wife, wondering where to start.

*

Brenda walked out of Harborview Towers unescorted. She needed time alone to think, to process everything that had happened to her over the past few weeks. She had left Port Charles happy and in love and she had returned in pain and sorrow to a place where even Sonny and Jason were happy. Maybe Carly was right—maybe she had returned to make everyone's life a living hell.

Just then, a dark-haired man in a black overcoat bumped into her. She turned to look at the rude man, but he continued on walking. She let it go and continued down the street, lost in her thoughts.

The man looked back at Brenda. He lit up a cigarette, took a drag, and started to follow her.

****

END BACK IN TOWN


	14. Guardian Angel

Guardian Angel 

Guardian Angel 

The guards finished putting the boxes in Brenda's new penthouse. Jason thanked them as they left and looked at Brenda, who was sitting quietly on the couch. "You're doing the right thing by moving in here."

          "It's too big," she said. "I don't need all this room."

          "Go shopping," Jason said. "You're good at that, right?"

          Brenda crossed her arms in front of her chest. "I'm not going to do this right now."

          "What?"

          "Fight with you." She stood up and went to a box. "If you don't mind, I need to start unpacking."

          "Call me if you need anything," Jason said as he left her. He walked up the flight of stairs to his floor. He knocked on Sonny's door as he entered. Sonny was talking on his cell phone.

          "Dean Carter?" Sonny said. "I'll let my people know..uh-huh…I'll be touch." He hung up. "That was Wallace in London. He sent one of his men here to help us out. He's going to investigate Jax's death and guard Brenda."

          "Why?"

          "We need our European connections here and there," Sonny said. "Plus I can't have you guarding Brenda. Courtney and Caitlin should be your first priorities."

          "What about another guard?"

          "This is Brenda. She's not going to listen to anyone, but she might listen to this Dean guy if he's investigating Jax's death."

          "So, when is he supposed to show up?" Jason asked.

          "Wallace says he's already here."

*

          Brenda walked back into her living room and nearly had a heart attack at the sight of the dark-haired stranger. "Who are you?"

          The man smiled. "Dean Carter." He had a British accent. "Brenda Barrett, I presume."

          "How did you get in?" Brenda did a quick scan of the room for a weapon and the fastest way to the door.

          "For a person who needs protection, you aren't really that smart," Dean said. "Your door was unlocked."

          Brenda looked the man over, thinking he looked familiar. She suddenly remembered the dark hair and black coat. It was the man she had bumped into a few days ago. "Have you been following me?"

          "Well, I have to," Dean said. "I'm your bodyguard."

*

          Carly and Courtney watched their children play on the floor as they sat on the couch. Courtney nervously played with a piece of thread on her shirt. "So, what do you think is going to happen about Brenda?"

          Carly rolled her eyes. "Sonny and Jason are probably putting together a plan. You know this is just like Brenda to come running back to Sonny."

          "Do you think there are people after Brenda?" Courtney asked.

          "I don't know," Carly said, "but whatever's going on, it's not going to be pretty."

          Their eyes went towards the door, wondering what their husbands were doing across the hall

*

          Sonny and Jason walked into Brenda's penthouse to find a dark-haired man in her living room. The man extended his hand. "Hello, I'm Dean Carter."

          Sonny shook his hand. "Where's Brenda?"

          "Care to explain this?" Brenda stormed into the room. "When was I going to find out about him?"

          "We just found out too, Brenda," Sonny said. "He's from London. He's here to investigate Jax's death and guard you."

          "Yeah, he already told me," Brenda said. "So, now what? Am I supposed to let him live here with me?"

          "It _is _a nice place," Dean said.

          Brenda rolled her eyes at him.

          "It's for the best," Sonny said. "There's a guest room across from your bedroom."

          "But, Sonny—" said Brenda.

          "Brenda, please, you want protection, right?" Sonny said. "And you want to know what happened to Jax? Let this happen."

          She sighed. "Alright."

          "We'll be downstairs if you need anything," Sonny said to Dean.

          Dean escorted them out, shutting the door behind them. "So, where's my room?" he asked Brenda.

*

          Sonny placed his keys on the table and looked around the empty penthouse. Carly and the kids were probably still across the hall. Just then, his phone rang. "Hello?"

          "Do not trust him," the muffled voice said.

          "Who is this?" Sonny asked.

          "Do not trust Dean Carter," the voice said. "He isn't who he says he is."

          Before Sonny could reply, the caller hung up.

**END GUARDIAN ANGEL**

Continue 


	15. Somewhere I Belong

Somwhere I Belong 

Somewhere I Belong

          He stepped off the jet, the sound of his expensive shoes clicking against the step ladder and onto the ground. 

          "We've received confirmation that she's contacted Sonny Corinthos," one of his men said.

          Damon Beckett's green eyes looked upon the Port Charles Airport. This was a long way from London. He wrapped his overcoat over his business suit. "She did exactly what I predicted. Now let's go pay her a visit."

*

          The cloud of smoke drifted towards Brenda as she walked into the hallway. She entered Dean's room with her hands on her hips. "How are you supposed to protect me when you can't even breathe?"

          Dean took in a long drag and let it out. "I'm trying to quit."

          "If you're going to smoke, close the door," Brenda said. "I hate smelling like smoke."

          Dean put his cigarette in the ashtray and approached her. "So, what's for breakfast?"

          "There's a nice place called Kelly's. They make a great breakfast," Brenda said.

          "Oh, really?" Dean raised an eyebrow. "Care to join me?  
          "I have more important things to do than eat with you." Brenda walked back to her room.

          Dean followed her. "Like what?"

          "Like find out who killed Jax," she said madly. "I don't see why you came all this way. Sonny and Jason are perfectly capable of helping me out."

          "You do need me," Dean said.

          Brenda leaned against frame of her door and looked at him skeptically. 

          "Mr. Corinthos and Mr. Morgan can't protect you," he said.

          "Oh, and you can?" 

          "They don't know Damon Beckett," Dean said.

          "Who's Damon Beckett?" Brenda asked.

          Just then, there was a knock on the door. They went to answer it. Dean reached for his gun as Brenda opened the door.

          "Hi." The young Asian girl smiled at Brenda. "Delivery for Mrs. Kent." She held up the bouquet of flowers.

          "I'm sorry, but you have the wrong place," Brenda said.

          The girl looked at her and Dean. "Sorry to have disturbed you."

          "No problem." Brenda closed the door and turned back to Dean. "Finish telling me your story. Who's Damon Beckett?"

          "I can't," Dean said.

          "Why not?"

          "I can't work on an empty stomach," he said with a wink.

          Brenda stared hard at him. "Fine. We'll go to Kelly's."

*

          The elevator's doors opened and the flower delivery girl walked out. She crossed the lobby and left the building, tossing the bouquet of flowers into a trashcan outside.

          A voice came on inside her hidden earpiece. "Did you see her?"

          "Yeah," she said in a low voice. "She's got one of Wallace's men with her."

          "That shouldn't be a problem," Damon said.

*

          Courtney walked out into the living room. Jason was sitting alone on the couch, his hands clasped together in his lap. "I woke up and you were gone," she said.

          "I couldn't sleep," he said.

          She sat down next to him. "Do you want to talk about it?"

          He shook his head.

          "I'm scared, Jason," Courtney said after a moment of silence. "The last time Brenda was here, you were facing murder charges. What is it going to be this time?"

          Jason wrapped his arms around him. "Nothing is going to happen to me."

          "Can you promise me that?" she asked.

          He was quiet.

          "That's what I thought." She snuggled against him, trying to ignore the fear inside her.

*

          "This place hasn't changed at all," Brenda said as she sipped her coffee. "Maybe it's because I haven't changed."

          "Why do you say that?" Dean asked. He ate his breakfast hungrily. "Are you sure you don't want anything else besides coffee?"

          "I'm fine." Brenda sighed. "It's been three years and I still feel like the same person."

          "Is that so bad?" said Dean.

          She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "Yeah, I think so."

          "Brenda?" Ned Quatermaine looked at her, his eyes filled with surprise. 

          She jumped out of her seat and hugged him. "Oh, my god, Ned. It's so good to see you."

          "Are you in town visiting?" Ned asked. "Is Jax with you?"

          Brenda suddenly frowned.

          Ned looked at her, concerned. "What is it?"

*

          Sonny looked up as the door opened and Jason walked into the penthouse. Sonny put down his drink. "I got a phone call last night. Someone saying that we couldn't trust Carter."

          "Have any idea who called?" Jason asked.

          "No. The voice was disguised," Sonny said. "I called Wallace and he faxed me Carter's information and picture. It's the same guy."

          "Someone wants to play mind games with us," Jason said, "and make us suspect Carter."

          "I still want you to keep an eye on him," Sonny said. "How are Courtney and Caitlin doing with all of this?"

          "Courtney's scared," Jason said softly. "And I can't do anything about it."

*

          "Wow, look at this place." Dean looked around the Quatermaine's mansion. "This place is huge."

          "Can you just be quiet?" Brenda said annoyed.

          They walked into the living room where Edward Quatermaine was. He smiled at Brenda, his arms stretched out for a hug. She wrapped herself in his hold. "It's good to see you, Brenda."

          "Same here," she said.

          "Lila's upstairs," Edward said. "She would love to see you."

          Brenda left the two men in the room.

          "Tell me, Mr. Carter, how do you fit in this picture?" Edward asked. "When Ned called me from Kelly's, he said you were Brenda's bodyguard."

          "Yes, I am," Dean said.

          "I notice the accent," Edward said. "You're on the wrong side of the ocean, aren't you?"

          "I was sent to Port Charles to investigate Jasper Jax's death and guard Brenda Barrett," Dean said. "Mr. Quatermaine, it looks like you care about Ms. Barrett deeply so isn't this what you for her?"

          "It doesn't matter if it's you, Luis Alcazar, or Sonny Corinthos," Edward said, "the mob is the mob, and I want Brenda nowhere near that life."

          "Well, that's up to her to decide," Dean said. He noticed the picture frames on the mantle. One was of Jason Morgan. "Isn't that Mr. Morgan?"

          "Yes, he's my grandson," Edward said. "He was corrupted by Sonny and the mob. Now you see why I can't have Brenda near any of that."

*

          The penthouse door slowly opened as she walked into the darkness. She moved like cat in the empty room. She took out the small camera chip and placed it on the bookshelf. She made sure if was set up correctly and headed towards the door.

          "What are you doing?" The lights came on suddenly. 

          The Asian girl was startled to see Jason. She was dressed in dark clothing. Her black hair was pulled back, showing off her young face. She looked to be in her mid-twenties.

          Jason blocked the door way, closing the door behind him. "What are you doing?" he asked again.

          "You must be one of Sonny Corinthos's men," the girl said. She didn't sound impressed.

          "And you are?"

          She moved for her gun, aiming it at him. "Death."

**END SOMEWHERE I BELONG**


	16. HeartShaped Box

Heart-Shaped Box 

Heart-Shaped Box

          Jason had not expected the gun. Maybe it was because he had come downstairs to check on Brenda and Dean, not thinking that someone had broken in. Or maybe it because Jason had figured he could our maneuver he girl so he hadn't reached for his own weapon.

          "Let me through," the girl said, "and you won't get hurt." Her dark eyes held Jason's stare. It was starting to unnerve him.

          Just then, the door opened behind Jason. Dean and Brenda walked in. Brenda gasped at the girl. Dean raised his gun. Jason took the chance and finally took out his gun, but it was too late. The girl ran to the back with Dean and Jason chasing after her. They heard glass break in a room. One of Brenda's bedroom windows had been broke. They looked down the fire escape, but the girl was gone.

*

          Courtney heard the front door open and immediately went to her husband, embracing him as he entered the penthouse. "Sonny told me what happened this morning. God, Jason, you could have been shot."

          "I'm fine." He looked for his daughter. "Where's Caitlin?"

          "She's sleeping." Courtney didn't like Jason's sudden distance. He only did this when he was afraid of something. "Jason, I—"

          "Let's go away this weekend," he said suddenly.

          "Go where?"

          "Anywhere," Jason said. "Europe, Asia, Hawaii, anywhere, just as long as we're together."

          "And Caitlin?"

          "Sonny and Carly can watch her."

          Courtney smiled, stunned at Jason's spontaneity. "Sure. Let's go."

          Jason returned her smile and reached for her. "I love you so much." He kissed her deeply, remembering the comfort of his family and forgetting the trouble he was facing.

*

          Brenda stared at the moon in the sky. She thought about Jax and one of their last moments together. They were in Rome, standing on a bridge and looking up at the night sky. 

_"Make a wish," he said. _

_"I have everything I could ever want," she said. _

_"There's always something more you could wish for." _

Brenda didn't know how right Jax was at that moment. "I wish for you, Jax," she said to herself.

"Are you all right?" Dean walked into his room. Brenda's back was to him facing the window.

She quickly wiped away her tears. "Yeah." She turned to him. "Sorry about taking over your bedroom."

"Don't worry about it," he said. "Sonny said he would get someone to fix your window tomorrow."

          "Did the penthouse sweep turn up anything?" Brenda asked.

          "No bugs, but we're not done searching," he said.

          "Who was that girl?" Brenda moved to the bed and sat down. "Does it have something to do with Damon Beckett?"

          "Possibly."

          "You never told me about him," she said.

          "There's a reason."

          "What's that?"

          Dean sat down on the edge of the bed. "Why so many questions?"

          "Why so few answers?"

          Dean smiled and got back up. "Good night, Brenda."

          "Wait."

          He looked at her. 

          "Do you mind sleeping in here tonight?" she asked.

          Dean's eyes trailed to the bed.

          "On the floor," she said sternly.

          "If it makes you feel safer," he said.

          Brenda handed him a pillow and blanket. "Thank you."

          Dean watched her get into bed before turning off the lights. He made himself comfortable on the floor next to the bed and listened to Brenda's slow steady breathing until he also fell asleep.

*

          Jason watched Caitlin sleeping her crib. He gently stroked her cheek. She smiled at his touch. 

          Courtney quietly entered the room, careful to not disturb Jason and Caitlin. He seemed to sense her, turning around with a weary look on his face. "Hey," she said. She came next to Jason and they looked down at their daughter. "I haven't been away from her for this long since she was born," Courtney said.

          "It's only a weekend," Jason said. "Besides I think we'll miss her more." He wrapped her arms around Courtney's waist and rested his chin on top of her head. "When we get to that island, all of our troubles will be behind us. It'll be just you and me."

          "That's all I need," she said.

          He kissed her forehead. "That's all I need."

*

          Dean woke up in the dark room the sound of Brenda talking in her sleep. He touched her arm and she immediately sat up, her eyes wide open. She covered her face with her hands as she tried to catch her breath. "Bad dream?" he asked.

_          Jax's face, smiling. His lips on her. Jax's face, dying. His casket being lowered into the ground._

"It was nothing," Brenda said as she lay back down. She felt Dean sit down next to her and place a reassuring hand on her. She closed her eyes and welcomed the darkness.

          Dean watched her fall back asleep. He was filled with concern over her, wondering if she had ever been able to talk to anyone about Jax's death and how it was affecting her. He moved his hand up to her hair and brushed his fingers against her face. He decided to stay up for the rest of the night.

*

          Sonny held his niece in his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her head on his shoulder.

          "Bella's finally asleep," Carly said coming downstairs.

          "Caitlin looks like she is too," Sonny said.

          "Want me to take her?"

          Sonny sat down on the couch with Caitlin still holding on to her uncle. "I got it," he said.

          Carly took a seat next to him and touched Caitlin's soft blond hair. "I'm glad Jason and Courtney decided to get away for awhile. They need some time to themselves."

          "Think they're following in our footsteps?" Sonny said.

          Carly laughed. "Oh, god, I hope not."

          "What's so wrong with that?"

          "Well, for one thing, let's hope they don't get married to each other three times," she said.

          Sonny shrugged. "Practice makes perfect."

*

          They made love slowly as though they were just meeting for the first time. Exploring each other's body, tasting each other's skin. The sound of the waves crashing blended in with their sounds of pleasure. The gentle breeze blew in through their window, the curtain moving with it. The moonlight illuminated their bodies casting their shadows as two, as one, as two.

          Jason brushed Courtney's hair from her eyes and pulled her close to him. Courtney interlaced their fingers as Jason gripped her hand tightly, securely. Their breathing returned back to normal. They fell asleep soon afterwards.

*

          Dean smiled at Brenda as she walked into the living room. He handed her a cup of coffee. She accepted it, confused at his sudden politeness. "So, Ms. Barrett, what are our plans for today?" he asked.

          "I have some errands to run," she said. "You know maybe buy some new underwear or something."

          Dean's smile never left his face. "Sounds fabulous." He walked back into the kitchen, passing the bookshelf where the camera went undetected. 

**END HEART-SHAPED BOX**


	17. Hide and Seek

Hide and Seek

          Courtney picked up her daughter and held her tightly. She had missed the feel of Caitlin's warm body against hers. "Hey, honey, we're home." Caitlin snuggled with her mother, pressing her face against Courtney's neck.

          "Thanks for watching her," Jason said to Sonny and Carly.

          "No problem," Sonny said. "How was the trip?"

          "Too short," Courtney said.

          "How's Brenda doing?" Jason asked Sonny.

          "Dean's doing a good job," Sonny said. "We're still looking for whoever broke into Brenda's place."

          Jason nodded. "I'll get back to you later." He picked up Caitlin's things and headed back to his penthouse with Courtney and Caitlin.

          Carly looked over at Sonny with her arms crossed over her chest. "You're not telling the truth."

          Sonny turned away from her. "What are you talking about?"

          "You know who that girl works for, don't you?"

          Sonny didn't answer.

*

          "Alana." Damon walked into the gym where the petite Asian girl was working out. She didn't seem to hear him as she punched and kicked the red punching bag. "Alana."

          She finally looked up at him.

          "You have a job to do tonight," he said.

          Alana wiped the sweat off her forehead. "A job?"

          Damon took his gun from his holster and handed it to her. "Get rid of Brenda's bodyguard."

          "Why's Brenda Barrett so important to you?" Alana checked to see if the gun was loaded—it was. She pointed it to the wall. "I could do a two-for-one deal if you want. Get rid of her and the bodyguard."

          Damn grabbed his gun back. "Just the bodyguard. I want Brenda alive."

          "Fine." Alana stepped away from Damon. "Just the bodyguard." She went back to working out.

*

          Damon took a seat behind his desk. He reached for a ballpoint pen and rolled it between his fingers, deep in thought. Once Dean Carter was out of the picture, he would have better access to Brenda. After he was through with her, then he would take up Alana's two-for-one deal.

          He looked up at the screen in front of him. His eyes stared at the black and white image of Brenda Barrett as she sat in her living room.

*

_1 year ago_

          "Here's the information you requested, Mr. Beckett." The elderly man handed him the large envelope. "What is it you're looking for exactly, sir?"

          Damon ignored his question as he shifted through the papers. He concentrated on the bank statements and everything he had suspected was true. "Luis Alcazar has another bank account."

          "How is that possible?" the man asked.

          Damon slammed his fist on the table, startling the man. 

          "When you acquired Mr. Alcazar's business, you should have received his entire fortune," the man said nervously trying to calm Damon down. 

          "But I didn't," Damon said. "These figures don't match up. There's at least $5 million out there somewhere."

          The man sighed. "Who knows where it could be?"

_6 months later_

          Damon sat down in the crowded French restaurant. He picked up the menu, uninterested with the entrees. Instead, his attention was on the dark haired woman and blonde man sitting in the back corner, holding hands and looking lovingly at each other.

          The waiter approached him and poured him a glass of water. "Do you need anything else, Monsieur?"

          Damon was still looking at Brenda Barrett. "I have everything I need."

*

          Dean walked out carrying the Chinese take-out he and Brenda had ordered for dinner. He buttoned up his coat and started down the street towards the penthouse. The night was warm with a slow breeze blowing through his hair. As he passed an alleyway, he thought he heard the sound of someone crying. He entered the darkened alleyway cautiously. "Hello?" 

Suddenly, a shadow came to life. Someone grabbed his from behind, jumping on his back. A hand wrapped a string around his neck, chocking him. He struggled to get the person off him. He slammed his back to the brick wall causing the person to fall off his back. He started to cough as he tried to catch his breath.

"Looks like we have to do this the hard way."

Dean looked up, surprised to see the flower girl from the other day pointing a gun at him.  
  


*

          Jason answered the urgent knocking on his door. 

Brenda rushed inside. "Dean's not back," she said. "He left a few minutes ago to get dinner and he's still not back."

"He's probably on his way," Jason said.

Brenda shook her head. "Please, Jason, can you go check? He went to that Chinese place down the street."

Courtney walked in the room just then. "What's going on?"

"Dean's missing," Brenda said.

"I'll go check it out." Jason grabbed his coat making sure his gun was there. 

"Thank you," Brenda said.

"Stay here with Courtney," Jason said as he left.

*

          Alana held the gun steadily in her hands. "You know I don't think it's fair that you have to go down without a fight." She gestured to his holster. "So go for it."

          "Kind of confident, aren't we?" Dean said.

          Alana smiled. "I guess you can say that."

          Dean slowly moved for his gun when the sounds of approaching footsteps made him pause. They looked as Jason came towards them. 

          "Who sent you?" Jason asked, his own gun raised at the girl.

          "Let's skip the chit-chattering." Alana's trigger finger was itching to shoot her gun. 

          "You're right." Dean whipped out his gun. "Seems like the odds are against you, doesn't it?"

          Alana stared at the two guns and shrugged. "Well, what can I say? I know when the fun's over." She lowered her gun and slid it to Jason.

          Jason picked up the gun as Dean went to the girl.

          Alana waited until Dean was close enough when she revealed the knife, stabbing Dean in the stomach. Dean cried out in pain and collapsed on his knees. Alana took a step back just as the bullet pierced her chest, sending her falling on her back.

          Jason lowered the gun and went to check on Dean. His breathing was raspy and uneven. "We need to get out of here." Jason helped him on his feet, glancing at Alana's lifeless body.  
  


*

          "Are you all right?" Courtney handed Brenda the hot cup of tea. "You should sit down."

          Brenda took a sip of the tea. The warm liquid helped calm her nerves a little. "I'm fine, thanks." She went back to looking out the window.

          Courtney's eyes filled with concern. "Are you?"

          Brenda finally moved from the window and sat down at the couch. Courtney followed.

          "I still love your brother," Brenda said, "but I know he has another life now with a wife and children, a family with you and Jason." She sighed, her voice becoming softer. "And I accept that. Sonny and I, we have this connection, no matter how hard I try to deny it, it's there."

          Courtney listened intently for her to continue. 

          "Everyone around us always gets hurt," Brenda said with tears. "Everyone around us always dies."

          Suddenly the phone rang. Courtney quickly went to answer it.

          "Courtney," Jason said.

          "Oh, my god, Jason," she said. "Are you okay?"

          "I found Dean," he said. "We're at safe house."

          "I'm coming to you."

          "No, you can't," Jason said urgently. "Stay with Caitlin. Sonny's already on his way." He lowered his voice. "Don't let Brenda worry. About Dean, about anything, you got that?"

          Courtney glanced at Brenda, who was nervously waiting for the news. "Yeah."

          "I'll call again," Jason said.

          Courtney hung up and let out a sigh of relief.

          "So, what is it?" Brenda asked. "Are they fine?"

          Courtney nodded. "Don't worry, Brenda."

          Brenda felt the tension fade away.

          "About that connection," Courtney said seriously. "My brother is one of the strongest fighters I know and if you truly believe that everyone around him dies or gets hurt, then you and Sonny have nothing in common."

*

          Dean peeked outside the bedroom door to see Sonny and Jason talking quietly in the main room. He had sneaked away to get some rest, but now that he was alone he could make his phone call. He grimaced with pain from the knife wound, his hands on the bandages around his stomach. He reached for his cell phone and hit a speed dial button. "Everything is going as planned," he said in the dark. "We'll get him. I'm sure of it."

**END HIDE AND SEEK**


	18. Truth Be Told

Truth Be Told 

Truth Be Told

          "Liar, liar, pants on fire!"

          Sonny looked at the children playing in the park. Michael was one of them. Carly was sitting next to him on the bench holding Bella. "He's going to have dirt all over him," he said watching Michael run.

          "Let him have some fun, Sonny," Carly said.

          "You're only saying that because you don't do the laundry," he said.

          Carly smiled. "I already have my hands full with two gorgeous children and

a—"

          "Gorgeous husband?" said Sonny.

          "More like stressful." Carly leaned in for a kiss. "But gorgeous would do."

          Just then, Sonny's cell phone ran. Carly groaned at the sound. "Hello?" Sonny said.

          "We got a fax at the warehouse," Marco said. "You might want to come see it."

          "What is it?" Sonny asked.

          "You have to see it for yourself."

          Sonny rubbed his temple. So much for the day at the park with his family. "Alright. I'll be there."

*

          Brenda watched Dean as he slept on the couch. He was shirtless except for the bandages that still protected his knife wound. She stood over him, her eyes moving up and down his body—from his dark hair to his dark shoes. Then, she felt something in her stomach. She hadn't felt like this since Jax died. Her heartbeat was racing and her knees became weak. She felt disturbed at this renewed feeling. She had to make it go away.

*

          Damon turned away from the TV monitor. Brenda had been staring at Dean for a few minutes now. He wondered if there was anything going on between them that the camera wasn't capturing. He shook his head, reminding himself that he had more important things to ponder such as getting a new enforcer. Alana's death had come as a surprise. She had always got the job done. Until now. He looked back the monitor. Brenda and Dean were gone.

*

          Marcus Taggart saw Sonny approaching the docks in a hurry. "Do you have a few minutes?" he asked.

          "No, I don't actually," Sonny said coldly.

          "Well, that's too bad." Taggart stepped in his way. "The body of Alana Cheng was found a few nights ago near your home. A bullet to the chest."

          Sonny shrugged. "So?"

          "I think Morgan and her could have gone out to lunch together," Taggart said. "Seems like they were in the same profession."

          "Oh, coffee?"

          Taggart smirked. "Alana Cheng was known to associate with criminals. Criminals like you. She was a hired killer and I wouldn't be surprised if she was sent to kill you."

          "You wouldn't?"

          "Look at your history, Sonny," Taggart said. "Many people have tried to kill you."

          "And many people have failed." Sonny said, staring menacingly at Taggart. "I have somewhere I have to be if you don't mind."

          Taggart slowly stepped out of his way. "If I find out you're involved with any of this—"

          Sonny quickly interrupted. "You won't."

*

          Brenda and Dean sat down at the outdoor café.

          "You didn't have to come with me," Brenda said. "You need to rest."

          "I'm here to protect you and how can I when I'm laying on back?" 

          Brenda lowered her head with a small smile.

          "Besides, it's a nice day out," Dean said. "We should be enjoying it, right?"

          "Right."

          "Let me go get us some drinks," he said. "Two coffees coming right up." He stood up and a sharp pain hit him. He clutched his stomach.

          Brenda immediately stood up to assist him. "Sit down. I'll get the drinks." She helped him sit back down and went to wait in line at the counter. She glanced back at Dean who was still holding his stomach. A pang of despair came over her. _"Everyone around us always gets hurt."_

          Suddenly, she saw a dark figure come up to her from behind. A hand grasped her arm tightly.

          "Draw attention to yourself and regret it," the cold voice said.

          Brenda felt a gun pressed to her side. She looked at Dean, but he wasn't looking in her direction. She desperately tried not to panic.

          "Meet me at the Port Charles Hotel tonight at eight," the man said.

          Brenda didn't dare to make eye contact with him, only listened.

          "And come alone," he said. "Don't bring the bodyguard because this time he _will _die."

          Brenda nodded.

          "You don't want him to end up like Jasper Jax, do you?"

          A chill ran down her spine. She finally made him herself look at the man. He had a strong angry face and his eyes were like green fires. "Jax?" Images of her slain lover flooded her head. She held back her tears, not giving the man the satisfaction of seeing her cry.

          "Port Charles Hotel at eight. You come alone," he said. He let go of Brenda and disappeared down the crowded street.

*

          Sonny walked to the back room in the warehouse where Marco was waiting for him. He took the fax from Marco's hands and a troubled expression appeared on his face.

          _William Malone_

_          CIA Agent_

          Underneath the name and title was a picture of Dean Carter.

*

          Courtney and Caitlin walked up to Carly and Bella in the park. Carly moved over on the bench allowing Courtney to sit besides her.

          "Thanks for coming to keep me company," Carly said.

          "No problem" Courtney said. "It feels good to get out of the penthouse."

          "That's why I wanted to get out today, but Sonny had to be called away just as we were enjoying ourselves," Carly said bitterly.

          "It looks like Michael is enjoying himself though," Courtney said watching her nephew play tag with a group of children.

          Carly laughed. "He gets all that energy from me you know."

          Michael came running up to them. "Hi, Aunt Courtney."

          "Hey, look who I brought." Courtney held up Caitlin.

          Michael kissed his cousin on the cheek. "Can I take her to play? I promise I'll watch her."

          Courtney looked at Carly, who nodded. "Take your sister too," Carly said to Michael.

          Michael held onto Caitlin and Bella as they made their way to the playground.

          "Jason hasn't been home lately," Courtney said softly. "Ever since Brenda's bodyguard was hurt, he's been investigating it, catching up on leads, getting information. It's like he's a stranger now."

          Carly placed a sympathetic hand on Courtney. "He is thinking of you and Caitlin. He's always thinking you."

          Courtney smiled, but couldn't shake the bad feeling she had inside her. "I'm just afraid, for Jason, for me, for Caitlin," She looked at the playground for her daughter. Michael was pushing Bella on a swing, but Caitlin was nowhere in sight. "Where's Caitlin?" She ran to the playground with Carly behind her. Terror swept through Courtney's body. Was Caitlin hurt? Did she wander off somewhere? A terrible thought ran in her head. Did someone take her? "Caitlin!"

          "Courtney." Carly led her to the sandbox where the tiny blonde haired girl sat. "She's right here."

          Courtney picked up her daughter and hugged her. Although Caitlin was safe in her arms, she was still very afraid.

*

          Sonny stood in the dark penthouse. He was still thinking about the fax. He didn't know who sent it to him or why, but now he knew the truth. He picked up the gun and loaded it. It was time to pay William Malone a visit. 

**END TRUTH BE TOLD**


	19. What Are You Afraid Of?

What Are You Afraid Of? 

What Are You Afraid Of?

          Dean woke up to a gun pointed at his face. He sat up on the couch, reaching for his own gun on the table, but it was missing.

          "Looking for this?" Sonny raised Dean's gun with his other hand.

          Dean watched Sonny carefully, knowing he was unarmed and that Sonny had full control of the situation.

          "Where's Brenda?" Sonny asked.

          "In the bedroom," Dean said.

          Sonny lowered his voice, his gun still aimed at Dean. "I don't like liars, Dean, so explain something to me, why are you lying?"

          "She is the in the bedroom."

          "I mean your job," Sonny said. "You don't work for Wallace. Does the name William Malone mean anything to you? It should because it's your name."

          "Sonny, I don't know—"

          Sonny took out the fax from his pocket and showed the picture to him. "There it is. William Malone, CIA agent."

          Dean looked away. His cover had been blown. "Listen to me, Sonny, I—"

          Sonny pressed the gun to Dean's head. "No, you listen to me, Brenda is in the next room so you're going to take a walk with me."

          Dean nodded.

          Sonny put the gun in his holster. "Tell Brenda we'll be right back."

          Dean nodded again and went to Brenda's room. To his surprise, it was empty. He found a note on the table. 

            _Dean—Don't worry about me. Thanks for everything. Brenda_

          Dean walked back out to the living room with the note. "Brenda's gone," he said to Sonny.

*

          Courtney lay in bed wide awake. She heard Jason come in and take off his clothes. She felt his body near hers as he joined her in bed. He wrapped his arms around her. She sighed and turned to face him.

          "Did I wake you?" Jason asked.

          "No." Courtney traced his face delicately with her fingers. "I took Caitlin to the park today." She decided to leave out her scare.

          "Did she have fun?" Jason ran his hands through Courtney's soft hair.

          "Yeah, but I wish you had come with us," Courtney said sadly.

          "Me too." Jason saw the hurt in Courtney's eyes. He moved closer to hold her when his cell phone rang.

          Courtney knew this scenario well. She watched Jason get out of bed to answer it, going into the other room. This time, Courtney followed.

          "The warehouse? I'll be there," Jason said, hanging up.

          Courtney went back to bed.

          Jason came back and started to get dressed again. "I'm sorry, Courtney, but—"

          "I know," she said. "Just be careful."

          Courtney heard the front door close and she got out of bed again. She quickly dressed and went to get Caitlin.

*

          "I think I know where she went," Dean said.

          "Where?" asked Sonny.

          "To see Damon Beckett," Dean said. "Dammit!" He ran his hand through his hair frustratingly.

          "Who's Damon Beckett?" 

          "He's the reason why I'm in Port Charles," Dean said. "Yes, I am a CIA agent and Dean Carter is just an alias, but this has nothing to do with you or your business. It's about taking down Beckett."

          "What does this have to do with Brenda?" 

          "Beckett took over Luis Alcazar's business when he died," Dean said. "My partner and I had been watching Beckett for a long time, waiting to bring him into custody."

          "What happened?"

          Dean took a moment to answer. "My partner was killed by Beckett, by a sniper he had hired."

          "So, you're looking for revenge for your partner?"

          "No, for my wife," Dean said coldly.

          Sonny put the pieces together. He suddenly sympathized for Dean. "I'm sorry."

          "I got in touch with Wallace, who gave me this cover. He doesn't want Beckett around either. He filled me in that Beckett was coming to Port Charles to look for Brenda and the rest you know," Dean said.

          "What about Jax's death?"

          "A terrible act," Dean said. "Beckett thought Jasper Jax was in the way so he got rid of him."

          Sonny let all of the new information sink into his head. He still held Dean's gun in his hand. He slowly gave it back to Dean, who took it back.

          "We need to get your men ready," Dean said as he went to get his coat. "We need to find Beckett and Brenda and—" He turned back to Sonny, who was standing by the bookshelf. "What is it?"

          Sonny saw the small device and picked it up. It looked like a camera. "He's been watching you and Brenda."

          "I can get someone at the lab to pick up a signal," Dean said taking the camera. "It can give us a lead on where Beckett is."

          Dean and Sonny looked at each other, still uncertain if they could trust each other, but right now, they were all they had.

*

          Brenda sat in the Port Charles Hotel lobby. She grasped her hands nervously as she waited for the dark-haired man. His face looked familiar—a blur from the past. She thought about Sonny, wondering if she was going to see him again. She thought about Jax and wondered the same thing with a bittersweet smile. And then she thought about Dean. Just his name made her stomach get butterflies, but she willed the feeling away, wanting to say loyal to Jax.

          "You followed my requests well."

          Brenda looked up to the man. "What do you want with me?"

          Damon smiled. "There are too many people here. I have an excellent room upstairs. Has a lovely view of the city."

          Brenda hesitantly stood up.

          Damon held out his hand for her to take. She took a hold of it, feeling disgusted.

          "Let's enjoy this evening, shall we?" he said.

*

          Jason had seen the person following him since he left the penthouse. He reached the docks and waited for the person to catch up to him, his hand on his gun. A face came out of the shadows. He recognized the blond hair and dark coat. "Courtney?"

          She walked up to him slowly.

          "What are you doing out here?" Jason said. "Why aren't you at home with Caitlin?"

          "I was worried about you, Jason." Courtney stood face to face with her husband. "I took Caitlin over to Carly and decided to follow you. I wanted to make sure you were safe."

          Jason sighed. He pushed away his anger, focusing on Courtney's good intentions instead. "But you're not safe. Come on, I'll walk you back home." He reached for her hand, but she didn't move.

          "Not yet," she said.

*

          Sonny walked up the front desk at the Port Charles Hotel. "Have you seen these people tonight?" He showed the young man working pictures of Brenda and Damon.

          The worker looked over them. "Yeah, I saw them in the lobby earlier."

          "Can you tell me what room they're in?" Sonny asked.

          "I'm sorry, sir, but I'm not allowed to give out that information."

          "I'm changing the rules…" Sonny paused to read his nametag. "Adam. Now give me the room number to Damon Beckett."

          Just then, Dean came up to Sonny. "Sonny, I got—"

          "Sonny?" Adam said suddenly. "As in Sonny Corinthos? The mobster?"

          Sonny stared at him.

          "I'll get the room number," Adam said punching away at the computer's keyboard. "It's 1536."

          "I knew you'd see it my way, Adam," Sonny said. He and Dean walked towards the elevators.

          "Do you usually strike fear into everyone you meet?" Dean said jokingly. "I got information from the lab that traced the camera to a rented house just outside of Port Charles, probably Beckett's hide-out. I have some men on their way there as we speak."

          They got on the elevator. Sonny pushed the floor button. "What about those cameras?" he asked looking at the one in the corner of the elevator.

          "We're just making an arrest," Dean said. "There's nothing wrong with that."

          Sonny didn't believe him for one second. Dean was out for Beckett's blood.

          The elevator door opened and they stepped out.

*

          Brenda watched the man as he paced back and forth in front of her. She sat on the bed in the hotel room. He had closed the curtains, making the room almost completely dark except for the one lamp that was turned on.

          "Luis Alcazar has $5 million dollars hidden away somewhere," the man said. "And you are going to tell me where it is."

          "I don't know what you're talking about," Brenda said softly.

          "Don't lie to me." Damon knelt down in front of her. "I get what I deserve."

          Brenda stared at him. "What do you deserve?" 

          Her voice was so soft, so clear and so calm that it intimidated Damon. He stood back up. "I deserve the rest of Alcazar's fortune. It's in the contract that I was to take over when he died." 

          Brenda suddenly remembered where he had seen the man. "You're Damon Beckett." Private meetings in South America and Europe. They had even been introduced once. Luis had called him a "trusted friend." Now it seemed as though all Damon cared about was Luis's money.

          "You remember," Damon said. "Now tell me where the money is."

          "I told you I don't know—"

          Damon grabbed Brenda by her shoulders, forcing her to stand. "You were Luis's life. You knew all his strengths and weaknesses, all of his secrets."

          "So, why did you kill Jax?" Brenda asked. "He had nothing to do with this. Nothing."

          Damon let go of Brenda, but stood very close to her. "Every war has its casualties. Just ask Dean Carter." His voice became very menacing. "He and the CIA have been chasing me for nearly five years now."

          "CIA?" Brenda said.

          "The mobster alias is just a cover up," Damon said. "His real name is William Malone. He's a CIA agent. I made sure Sonny knew who he was dealing with. William, I mean, Dean is probably dead right now. This business doesn't tolerate disloyalty."

          "No. Sonny would never hurt Dean," Brenda said.

          "Really?"

          Brenda didn't trust one word that was coming out of Damon's mouth. "Yes." 

          Damon shrugged. "Well, if he is dead or not, it's not my problem. I don't like talking in circles so you are going to tell me right now, where is the money?"

          Before Brenda could say anything, there was a knock on the door.

          Damon took out his gun as he went to the door. "Who's there?" He looked out the peephole, but something was covering it. "Who's there?"

          Suddenly, the door was kicked in. Dean and Sonny came storming in with their weapons raised.

          Damon quickly grabbed Brenda, wrapping his arm around her neck. "I'll kill her!"

          "Just give up, Beckett," Dean said. "Turn yourself in."

          "You're going to get me that easily," Damon said. He was backing away from them slowly, still holding onto to Brenda. "Let us through."

          Brenda's eyes were filled with fear as she felt the cold metal of Damon's gun pressed against her right temple.

          Dean and Sonny slowly made a path for Damon and Brenda to pass by. Dean took the chance and tried to grab Damon's gun. They struggled as Brenda got out of their way. The loud bang echoed in the room. Sonny and Brenda looked at the two men. Both of them were not moving.

*

          "I miss you, Jason," Courtney said softly. "And Caitlin misses you." She reached for the collar of Jason's jacket. "I know you're busy and your job is important, but—"

          "I'll always have time for you and Caitlin, you know that," Jason said, his eyes following Courtney's fingers on his collar.

          "I do, but Jason, when was the last time you put Caitlin to bed?" she said. "When was the last time we had a meal together? When was the last time we—we made love?"

          Jason frowned. He hated himself for making Courtney feel this way. "You and Caitlin come first in my life." He touched her arm. "You are my life."

          Courtney wrapped herself in Jason. "I love you."

          Jason kissed the top of her head when something became wrong. Courtney felt limp all of a sudden. He looked at her face and her eyes were rolled into the back of her head. He felt the wet sticky substance on his hands. He pulled them away from her back and saw the red blood. And then he saw the gunshot wound. "No…no…" Jason looked around the docks to see where the gun had been fired, but all he saw was darkness and all he felt was Courtney, slowly being taken away from him.

*

          Dean pushed Damon's body off him and stood up. Damon lay motionless on the ground; a pool of blood was starting to form. Dean went to Brenda. "Are you okay?"

She nodded and threw her arms around him. "Thank you, William."

Dean looked puzzling at her.

"Agent Malone." A man in a federal agent uniform entered the room.

Dean glanced at Damon's body. "Check him."

"I'm glad you got what you wanted," Sonny said to Dean.

Dean nodded, grateful for Sonny's assistance.

"He's still alive," the agent said.

Damon moaned and stirred.

A stretcher came in and as Damon was being placed on it, Dean whispered to him, "You're going to pay for what you did to me, to Brenda, to Maggie."

They watched as Damon was taken away. The three looked at each, ready to leave the scene. 

Just then, Sonny's cell phone rang. "Yeah?" His face became alarmed. "I'll be right there." He hung up, running out the door.

**END WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF?**


	20. Roses and Razors

Roses and Razors 

Roses and Razors

Sonny always hated the hospital. Even when he was there for Carly and Courtney when they were giving birth to Bella and Caitlin—he wanted to leave. The thought of being surrounded with the sick and healthy, the living and the dead, all in one place—it was too much for Sonny.

          He ran down to the waiting area where Jason and Carly were already at. They both looked distraught, not a good sign. "How is she?" he asked frantically.

          "They won't tell us," Carly said. She glanced at Jason, who seemed lifeless. His hands still had Courtney's blood on them. 

          "Who's watching Michael? And the girls?" Sonny asked. "Are they alright?"

          "They're with my mother," Carly said. "Come on, Sonny, sit down. We can't do anything, but pray."

          Sonny ignored her request and continued pacing. His hands on his hips, his eyes holding back his tears.

          "It's my fault," Jason said quietly. So quiet that it came out as a whisper. "It's my fault."

          Carly went to comfort him, but he flinched at her touch. She pulled back.

          Jason looked down at his bloody hands. "It's my fault."

*

          As morning came, the doctor came to them with news. "We got the bullet out, but there was severe damage to the spinal cord. She's in a coma and there's a 50 percent chance she may never come out of it, and if she does, she may be paralyzed."

          "Can I see her?" Jason asked.

          The doctor nodded and led him to Courtney's room. Jason was taken back at the sight of his wife hooked up to so many machines, machines that were keeping her alive. He pulled up a chair and hesitantly touched her hands. It felt so cold. A tear rolled down his cheek. And then another. "I'm sorry." And then another.

*

          Sonny looked down at his sister's body. He moved his eyes away. "I'm going to find out who did this to you and when I do, you will come back to us. You fight this, Courtney. You fight this and come home."

*

          Dean faced the window. His hands were in his pockets as he thought about how he was going to spend his last few days in Port Charles. He was scheduled to go back to London soon. Damon Beckett's trial was going to start. He thought about Maggie; a sense of peace came over him knowing that he captured her killer.

          "Hey." Brenda came up from behind. Her eyes searched him. "Are you alright?"

          He nodded. "I was just thinking of Maggie."

          "Oh." Brenda looked out the penthouse's window.

          "And I was thinking of you," Dean said.

          She turned back to look at him again. This time she found what she was looking for.

          Dean lowered his face and kissed her. His hands cupped her face as her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling her closer to him.

*

          Jason entered Courtney's hospital room, surprised to see another visitor in there. 

          AJ Quartermaine turned to his brother. A glimmer of distain shined in his eyes. His lip curled. "Look at what you did."

          "What are you doing here?" Jason asked.

          "Believe it or not, I still care about Courtney," AJ said.

          Jason moved past him and went to Courtney. He placed a hand over hers. Still cold.

          "How's my niece?" said AJ. His voice showed no sincerity. He just wanted trouble. "Another child I'm denied to see."

          "Leave Caitlin out of this," Jason said.

          "Caitlin. Funny, that's what Courtney wanted to name our daughter," AJ said.

          Jason turned to AJ, his eyes blazing with anger. "That was when she was living in your delusional world."

          AJ didn't allow Jason to intimidate him. "Well, at least in my world, she was safe."

*

          Jason walked into the dim Italian restaurant. He gave a small nod at the restaurant owner, Joey, who was standing up front. Joey quickly disappeared into the back. Jason saw the heavy-set man in the black suit sitting alone in the corner. Jason crossed the empty restaurant. He observed the man for a moment, watching as the man slurped down his spaghetti dinner. Jason raised his gun and slammed the base into the back of the man's head. 

          The man fell to the ground, looking up at him, dazed, but still conscious. "What the—"

          Jason stepped on the man's arm as he pulled the gun out of the man's suit jacket.

          "Fuck, man. What do you want?" The man touched his bleeding head. "What do you want?"

          "Why didn't you shoot me?" Jason asked coldly.

          "What are you—"

          Jason kicked his ribs. "You shot someone on the docks last week. She's in a coma now. She could die any minute."

          The man groaned from the pain. "Damn. I only did what I was told. That British guy paid me 50 grand to do it."

          "Why didn't you shoot me?" Jason asked again.

          "I wasn't supposed to," the man said. "Only the woman. The British guy said it was the best way of taking away your life."

          _"You and Caitlin come first in my life." _

_"You are my life."_

Jason pointed his gun at the man's face and fired without a moment of hesitation. He heard the back door open as Joey came back out.

"Go home, Jason," Joey said. "I'll take care of this."

Jason lowered his gun, shaking. The sniper was dead, but Courtney was still in the hospital.

*

5 Months Later

          Jason placed Caitlin into bed gently. He kissed her forehead while stroking her blonde hair. He had tried his best to ease the pain of Courtney's absence. Caitlin cuddled with Carly now as she listened to her bedtime stories. Caitlin sat in Sonny's lap as she played with her dolls. Caitlin spent most of her time at her aunt's and uncle's as Jason spent most of his besides Courtney hospital bed. Courtney had made no progress since the shooting. Jason was beginning to lose hope.

          "Jason?" Carly stood in the doorway. "Are you ready?"

          He looked at his daughter one more time before leaving the room with Carly. They went downstairs where Sonny was standing.

          "Are you sure you want to do this?" Sonny asked.

          "No," Jason said. "But I can't take it anymore, Sonny. I need some time by myself. Alone. To think."

          Sonny nodded. "You be careful."

          "I will." Jason looked at Carly. "Take care of Caitlin for me."

          Carly wiped away her tears and nodded.

          Jason looked back at Sonny. "And you take care of Courtney for me."

          Sonny embraced Jason in a hug. 

          Jason walked towards the door. He looked at Sonny and Carly one more time, pushing away the urge of staying in Port Charles with his family. He opened the door and shut it behind him.

**END ROSES AND RAZORS**


	21. Aware

Aware

          This wasn't the first time he had dreamt this. He noticed her smile, how it spread across her face, how it made his own mouth turn into a smile. Then, he noticed she was standing. Waiting for him. Her and Caitlin. Waiting for him. Just waiting. But he never came. He woke up alone in Paris, in Rio de Janeiro, in Tokyo, alone.

*

1 year later

          The door opened and Sonny walked in with a paper bag. "I got you something to eat." 

          Courtney smiled at him. "Thanks." She continued to walk around the small room, focusing on keeping her balance, working on her strength. 

          "How's the physical therapy going?" Sonny asked.

          "Good. The doctors say if I stay on my feet, I can be back to normal," she said.

          Back to normal. Whatever that was.

          Sonny sat down and watched her walk. She had dark circles under her eyes. She had lost a lot of weight. Her hair was up in a messy ponytail. The white hospital uniform wasn't helping either.

          "You know, Carly and I are thinking about sending Bella to preschool," Sonny said. "Get her started early on her education, you know?"

          Courtney gave him a small nod.

          "If you want, we can look into something for Caitlin," he said softly.

          "Whatever you think is best," she said.

          "I'm glad you trust me and Carly with Caitlin," Sonny said, "but she's your daughter. You haven't seen her since you woke up from your coma seven months ago."

          "I can't, Sonny!" Courtney stopped walking. "How can I look at her and not be reminded of Jason? How he left us. How he hasn't tried to contact us. How he might never come back."

          "Courtney—"

          "Why, Sonny?" The tears came. "Why did Jason leave us?"

*

          Sonny entered the penthouse, throwing his suit jacket over the chair.

          "Daddy!" Michael held up a picture he drew. "Look at this!"

          Bella and Caitlin sat by him, scribbling on their own drawings.

          Sonny went to the couch and sat down, watching the three children play.

          "Hey, honey." Carly walked in from the kitchen. "I was going to get the kids some ice cream. Want some?"

          He shook his head.

          "How's Courtney?" Carly asked.

          "She's getting stronger," he said. It was a lie though. She may have woken up from the coma. She may have defied the doctors and proved them wrong by walking again, but when it came to Jason, she was not strong.

          "Did you see my mommy, Uncle Sonny?" Caitlin asked.

          "Yes, I did."

          "Is she coming home?" Caitlin said.

          Sonny touched her blond hair. "Not yet, sweetie, but she will."

          "With my daddy?"

          Sonny glanced at Carly, then back at his niece. "With your daddy."

*

          Courtney sat here often. She stared out to the garden. It was a beautiful sunny day, but she sat inside. Her thoughts wandered to Jason to Caitlin to the night she was shot to the day she woke up from her coma. The first person she has asked to see was Jason, but he never came. She wanted to see Caitlin, but she didn't want her to see her mother in the hospital. So the only people she ever saw besides the hospital staff were Sonny, Carly, and her father. When she was alone, she would try to understand Jason's reasons for leaving Port Charles. Fear. Doubts. Loneliness. A lot of the things she felt herself. She touched the gold wedding band on her finger. She took in a deep breath and made her decision. She exhaled slowly.

*

          "We got a postcard from Dean and Brenda," Carly said. 

          Sonny looked at the picture of London and flipped it over to read Brenda's handwriting.

          _Sonny and Carly—Just wanted to say hi. Dean sends his warmest regards also. We hope all is well._

          "Looks like Brenda's settling down in England," he said.

          "I'm glad," said Carly.

          Sonny raised an eyebrow skeptically.

          "What?" Carly smiled. "Everyone deserves to be in love." She kissed Sonny just as the phone rang. She groaned and answered it. "Hello? Oh, hi, Mom. What happened?" Carly frowned. "She did? Did she say where she was going? Okay. Thanks." She hung up and turned to Sonny.

          "What is it?" he asked.

          "Courtney checked herself out the hospital today," Carly said.

          "What?"

          "My mother was doing some paperwork and she saw her release forms. There's a letter at the hospital for you," Carly said.

          Sonny grabbed his coat and quickly left for the hospital.

*

          _Dear Sonny,_

_          Ever since I found out that Jason had left, I've been trying to figure out his reasons. Today I became aware of them. And for those same reasons, I am also leaving. Thank you for everything. Take care of Caitlin. Tell her I love her. Tell her I'll come back. I'll come back when he does._

_          Love, Courtney_

**END AWARE**


	22. A Wish Granted

A Wish Granted

Present Day

          The sun was just setting as Courtney went out the balcony. She watched the ocean waves crash against the sandy shores of the beach. She wrapped her arms around herself. Today was Caitlin's eighth birthday. The last time she had seen her daughter was nearly six years ago, sleeping in a crib. She tried to picture her now, but it was hard enough trying to remember what she looked like back then. All she could see were blurry images from her past—happier times with Jason and Caitlin. That was a main reason why she had come back to Brazil. This was where Caitlin was conceived, where she had told Jason the news about her pregnancy, where they had started their life together.

*

          The front door slowly opened. A hand reached for the lamp nearby and turned it on.

*

          For five years, Courtney lived in Brazil. Not many people knew of her connection with Sonny so she wasn't worried about being in danger or Sonny finding out where she was. She trusted that Sonny had let her go.

          For five years, she waited. She waited for her life to begin again. For her family to come together again.

*

          The pair of black boots walked up the stairs. It hesitated once it reached the top, uncertain where to go: to keep going, or to turn back. It continued down the hallway.

*

          A tear fell from Courtney's eye as she wondered about what Caitlin had wished for as she blew out the birthday candles. She hoped all of Caitlin's wishes would come true.

*

          He watched her for a moment, taking her in. It had been so long without that everything came back to him in a rush. Blue eyes. Blonde hair. Smiles. Gentle touches. Slow kisses. He went towards her.

*

          The sun finally vanished behind the horizon. Courtney turned to go back inside when she heard someone say her name. The voice. "Jason."

          He appeared before her. His hair was cut short. His eyes still crystal blue. He wore a long-sleeved dark shirt and dark slacks.

          They stood face to face, tears in their eyes. Jason reached out his hand. Courtney slowly reached for it, afraid that this was all a dream, but she touched his hand and found it was real. They interlaced fingers. Still a perfect fit. He pulled her in, sobbing, and breathing her in.

*

          Their lovemaking had been filled with passion, longing, joy, and desperation. Now they lay in each other's arms. Jason softly told Courtney about his travels, about his reasons for leaving, how he had heard that she was in Brazil, but it had taken nearly two years for him to work up the courage to face her again.

          "Let's go home, Jason," Courtney said. She glanced at their left hands, each still bearing the gold wedding rings. "Lets be a family again."

*

          Sonny and Carly woke up to the sound of knocking on the penthouse's door. It was too late in the evening for visitors. As Sonny opened the door, his eyes filled with shock and happiness. Jason and Courtney stood on the other side. He embraced them both. Carly did the same.

          "Is this a dream?" a soft voice asked from behind them.

          They turned to see Caitlin in her pajamas.

          "No, baby, this is real," Courtney said. She turned to Jason. "We're home."

**END A WISH GRANTED**

**END THE JOURNEY EPIC SERIES PART II**


End file.
